Aloha Exposure

Being a fruitarian - if not a vegan, is the simplest accomplishment if you live in Hawaii. The most amazing, delicious fruits are yours for the taking. On the "Hilo-side" of the big island, farmer's markets are plentiful - specifically, Pahoa on Saturday and Hilo on Wednesday and Sunday.

We are all familiar with the pineapple, papaya, avocado, banana - in Hawaii, these more common fruits have reached their maximum, most tantalizing flavor and make the mainland fruits pale in comparison. But it's the exotic fruits of Hawaii that are the most fascinating experience for both the eye and the palette. Feast on these photos and please share your impressions and your paintings with me!!

The blossom of the banana - also edible, and similar to the heart of the artichoke in flavor and appearance:

The largest, most exotic cherimoya fruit (custard fruit) I've ever seen. Creamy and delicious inside, and rubbery, warty on the outside - felt like one of those latex halloween monster masks!

The Mamey Sapote! Completely outrageous in texture, appearance and taste! The outer rind reminds me of the color of the moss rock in Colorado. The interior is dense in texture - like a firm, cooked yam. The flavor is indescribable, but I would say, if you sprinkled a bit of nutmeg and sugar on top, you would have something similar to pumpkin pie flavor. Michael liked his Mamey Sapote sliced up with avocado. If anyone has some imaginative recipes for this exotic fruit - please send them to me.

I've saved the most magnificent "fruit find" for last:

Yes - this is a pink banana. Such a lovely lovely creation. Look at the beautiful flower at the top. This was way up in the banana tree - so difficult to photograph - but well worth climbing through the soggy rainforest to snap the shot!

Aloha!

Sandbags

Marine layer embraced Malibu this morning; making the early morning walk down Zuma and Broad Beach, a soft, foggy event. I love to walk the beach at all times of the year. The ocean provides me with solace, with inspiration, and I always feel happier and refreshed after a long walk beside it. Michael and I chose the early hours of Saturday for our walk - just before the throngs of beach lovers from the Valley arrived; seeking respite from the inland heat.

Broad Beach is a favorite walk - flavored with pristine ocean, lovely homes, and locals walking their dogs. Lots of lovely people and lovely dogs live in "the Bu". The wealthy and the ordinary, the wealthy and the extraordinary live side by side on Broad Beach. This morning I met no one in particular - but in past years, I've walked by Rita Perlman with her children, and Goldie Hawn with her dog; all enjoying the fresh air.

Broad Beach residences are diverse - ranging from simple Cape Cod style homes to beautiful Mediterranean mini-palaces to modern California architecture. The neighbors share a common cause: preserving the fronts of their property from the unrelenting great Pacific Ocean!

Over the past year, I've watched an amazing sand bag wall being constructed along the ocean front property. Teams of Mexican laborers are quite skilled in building the fortress. Once the sandbags are filled, they are stacked and then wrapped in a black semi-permeable cloth. Some take it a step further and add another layer of loosely-woven, heavy burlap. Most of the fortress has survived the more powerful swells of the Pacific. Some of it has been brutally torn apart and forsaken by the waves. Not all residents use the sandbag approach - some have trucked in huge, jagged boulders to deter the water....

So what's an artist to look for, to be inspired by, on this early morning venture? Enjoy my photos - perhaps one will inspire a pattern or painting for you.

Visit my website for more artful ideas -

http://artrishi.com/

Create a Superb Children's Art Exhibit

Art Exhibit Preparation

Begins with Inspired Students!

Educate students - tell your students what an art exhibit is all about and when it will happen. They will be excited to know they can be a part of it.

Personalize the experience - tell your students how you approach creating your artwork, when you know that you'll display it.

Mention the words:

care

perseverance

attention to detail.

Make it magical - make it fun!

Infuse your teaching with enthusiasm and a we-can-do-this attitude. Prepare quality art lessons. Creating beautiful artwork takes extraordinary measures. Create a focused environment with minimal distraction. Students should work quietly. Soft music with no lyrics can help to facilitate a more focused environment.

Use quality art supplies There are some very nice art supplies available for children that make the skimpy water-based markers and wax crayons pale in comparison.

Keep the energy “up”. Most children have a short attention span. Take breaks for stretching, silent observation (looking at everyone’s artwork without commenting),

and nourishment.

Preparing the Finished Art work

Cut mats for the art, using quality matboard. For a really great look, cut two holes in the mat - one hole for the art and another for a photograph of the student. Print out name tags (business card size) with student’s name and age, & paste next to the student’s photograph. Another display option is to cut a separate mat exclusively for the photo & name tag and post it next to the matted artwork.

Set-up the Display

Boxes boxes!!

I have set up many art exhibits over the years of directing an art school. As my student enrollment grew, so did the exhibit. A local bank with a large open lobby was a great venue for a large display. Purchase several sizes of very large white boxes (available from shipping stores). These boxes serve as the base of the display. Stack them like children’s building blocks. Use mounting tape to attach the student art work to the sides of the boxes. Keep the boxes white or freshen them up with sponged-on, bright colored, latex house paint.

Throw a party!

Celebrate art!

Your students will love an extra special artist's reception in honor of all their work. So blow up the balloons, provide some good eats, and invite mom and dad, the grandparents, and the community to view the art work and join in on the fun.

Please visit my website for more artful ideas -

http://www.artrishi.com