Aloha Kakahiaka! Wow, so much to show you!

Well, first, my apologies for the long delay...and the reason? Projects, kittens, studio rentals, and more speed painting! 

I finally finished my first exhibition entry...that unfortunately, didn't make the cut, but that's ok because all the entries that didn't get into show were asked to display their works at the "First Friday Town Party" in Wailuku at a new art studio! So excited to see the reaction from everyone and some of my friends who also entered. I am working on downloading the presentation for the "Go Big Or Go Home" online (on my YouTube page!) for those interested in trying out this type of sculpture. I'm already planning another one, this time of Jimi Hendrix! Will post a pic here once I get it all downloaded.

Meet Senor Felix, the Art Studio kitty who loves to be told "I love you"

Another reason I've been offline is this little guy we found without a mama...we named him; Senor Alejandro Fernando Caldera Narvaez...hehe..or Senor for short. I usually call him Senor...but somehow we started calling him Felix too...doesn't matter what we call him, he does what he wants anyway and is learning quickly what his cuteness can get him heehee (;  It's been a long time since I welcomed an animal into my heart. I had a dog & cat I raised as a pup and kitten...at the same time!! ahh!! That was nuts, especially when I was raising a toddler and little one of my own at the time. I had to go through two sad points of loss years later and it is something I am nervous about going through again. But so far its been easy breezy with this dude...he literally "goes" on command...and will meow when he needs to too! He understands "be nice" and "I love you" and knows when we laugh its play time! I know if he was out there without his mama, he may not have made it through the stormy weather we've been having lately. He's been welcomed by everyone with food, shelter, and love. I'm so glad he's here and happy & healthy too (:


Luckily, I've been able to do more work from home these days while waiting for my apprenticeship programs to begin. It's been nice diving into my art and creating different artworks. Last month I began refinishing furniture for a few friends to resell at their used furniture shop, it's super fun and easy...and apparently very lucrative! I'm planning to add some pics of the finished pieces to my new business website; www.earthconsciousdesigns.com along with clothing line that I'm also getting involved with. It's made from a factory in Bali...and having traveled there a few years ago, my heart melted for the families there...one in-particular family too. 

This family was extremely poor and yet opened their home and hearts as if they were billionaires overflowing with abundance all around....the mother brought out a painting she had wrapped up and gave it to me when I left...we both cried tears of sheer happiness so stoked that we two mothers from across the globe had somehow connected. I learned how to cook some great food from my new friends and helped there children with their schoolwork while I was there...it filled me with so much peace in my heart...they had no idea how much more they had actually helped me too. So my plan is to donate a percentage of profits to this family and hopefully, have enough left over to visit them again too. Wow, how cool would that be?? It's been almost 5yrs so it would be awesome to bring my kids to meet there's someday...only time will tell! 

Senor and me heehee

Meanwhile, I'm keeping myself busy busy with exciting projects like speed painting and time lapse vids!!! These have been sooo much fun...I usually watch the time lapse vids after I've put away the paints and cleaned up...it's exciting to see myself create. I noticed I put my arm behind my back when I'm doing the bigger pieces hehe...I did a recent time lapse that was completed on Easter Sunday...it was Mother Teresa...I didn't plan it that way either which was cool. I was a bit nervous painting outside while cars were driving by before I realized there was a line of cars driving by...slowly!! O: wow, guess allot of people in the neighborhood wanted to see what I was painting!! I started it the day before upside down, so it probably looked funny at first...and when I was about to turn it over to finish, it started dumping rain /: But again, I'm glad it was completed on such a special day. And when I had walked out an hour later that Easter Sunday, no lie, there was a double rainbow outside!!! I'm hoping she liked it (;  I had some glo paint so I used some for the tears & veil...and a message "SHARE" with a little red heart.

Cross on the right is from pic I took in Hana last year on Easter Sunday

Now I'm already thinking about my next mural, next speed painting session, next drift sculpture, and finding the right art studio to do it all from! I've gathered some other "starving artists" on isle and we are looking for a larger studio that will be able to store our larger projects. So far no luck, because we want the right space for the right price. I have piles of drift all around my hale, stacks of pallet wood, buckets of paint, and canvas ready to stretch and build...I'm ready to build more functional art and paint more murals. A goal I have is bringing lots more positive awareness to organizations like the Shaka Movement & Awareness Walkers, and to kokua my community however possible through my art. I'd also like to have a space large enough to hold community sustainability workshops! I would love to educate my community more on the available--FREE!--resources surrounding us. I want to show people how easy it is to save there money doing things they love instead of continuously replacing items and throwing out the old ones. 

This is something I am passionate about these days, sustainability, recycling, renewing, reusing, educating our keikis, showing people how to walk away from the 9-5 repetitive lifestyle...and actually enjoy paradise more!! It is possible to be self sustainable, self employed, and selfless. That and rock n roll baby...I am turning up the music outside as much as possible while painting huge murals!! I put my art on hold for over 20yrs...now it's time to shine!! I am a painting & building machine!! And this time, I'm never going to stop, this time I'm using all the gifts I've been blessed with and will continue to figure out new ways to bring it all together. 

Even my marketing and advertising is becoming more creative. I've been offering small business owners my skills & experience with small business development on isle, to kokua their business by showing them how they can bring income literally from the click of a button, from the comfort of their hale! I have been offering mini biz packages, that include; accounts with all major social sites, quick build websites with paypal, video presentations for adding links in various ads, etc...all for an affordable price of $100, yep, that's it. I am not doing it for making money off of these hardworking people, I'm doing it because it's too easy just to set someone on the right path, and maybe they are too busy managing and supervising, stocking, cleaning, etc. like I was all those years, stressing myself out to get the admin done by those deadlines I used to give myself..yuck! So I just give them a boost, get things hooked up with logins, account info, links, and a quick vid or two...no biggie. Then if they want me to continue where I left off, cool, I can do that too, for a simple trade. Maybe I need something sewn, a new haircut, clothing, whatever. 

Helping & sharing is possible when you are on it with time managing. Get a calendar and you are on your way to helping others...because there's ALWAYS enough time in ANY schedule to squeeze in some kokua for sistren/bredren. The world needs less excuses for not sharing your gifts and blessings. I'm doing everything I say can be done so people can't tell me it's impossible when I ask them to do it. I purposely ask them to kokua community or volunteer to help a neighbor or friend, because I know first hand it's completely possible. Bet I probably seem a bit too serious huh? I know, that's why I mix things up with the rock n rollers on my walls, reminds me to party hard when it's deserved after working hard...without rock n roll life would've been boring and dull, luckily a dude named Elvis was born to change all that hehe...Wo! I just realized I forgot to add him to my circus mural! Shoots, oh well, maybe I'll save him for a portrait later. 

Probably wondering what the circus mural is huh? Well, I'm going to tell you anyway! lol! I had this picture in my mind for days, weeks...and I'm finally going to bring it to life on canvas. It's a picture of an employee breakroom...a circus employee breakroom...an all star rock n roll circus employee breakroom!...after a 12hr. shift hehe...I already started the sketches...everybody in it will be fully recognizable with details so I've been gathering online pics of profiles, gestures, and of course circus acts! It's going to be so much fun to paint it, I won't be finished for awhile, but that's ok because I want to make sure I put in every little detail right down to the flea circus...and the 'Employee of the Month' (Jim Morrison). 

See you on the other side (;

~M.