September 2022 at the Gallery
Volume 13, Issue 9
Artist of the Month:
Christal Nylin
The Kailua Village Artists featured artist for the month of September is oil painter Christal Nylin.
"The Big Island is abundant with so much to paint." Nylin's 40 years of living in Hawaii has given her depth in knowing the island's history and beauty. Through her curiosity and passion to create, she loves to capture that special moment of interest to share with the viewer. Nylin has is a diverse repertoire of paintings. from tropical trees, historic buildings, beach scenes, sunsets, figurative, and Kona coffee paintings. During the month of September, Nylin will present original paintings, as well her "Classics" collection, framed embellished canvas giclees, and matted prints. Many of the recognizable "Classic" Kona scenes are painted purely on site in the style of plein air painting (more about plein air painting) and are particularly popular among visitors as places they have visited and experienced.
During the month of September, Nylin will present a few of the original paintings in her "Classics" collection, as well as, the usual framed embellished canvas giclees, and matted prints.
Mosaic Art in Hawai’i
Group Show 2022
September 2-29
Wailoa Center
Hilo, Hawaii
Free Admission
Hawai’i Island Art Alliance and Wailoa Center are proud to announce the exhibit, “Mosaic Art in Hawaiʻi” from September 2-29 at Wailoa Center. This exhibit features the work of twenty mosaic artists from the Islands of Hawai’i and Maui along with orchid displays by several Hawai’i Island orchid growers.
Everyone is welcome at the Opening Reception on Friday September 2, 2:00 till 6:00 pm. Live jazz music by The Jazz Brothers will enliven the event from 4:00 to 6:00 pm. Artists will be available at the opening reception to answer questions. Speaking with them will give you insights into how mosaics are made and the skill and time involved in creating these pieces of art!
These past few years Mosaic Art has blossomed on our island with public murals installed in Kona, Volcano and most recently in Hilo with the installation of the 26 Alphabet Mosaic Boards at Lincoln Park.
This show will be the first of its kind in the State of Hawai’i to present ONLY Mosaic Art. Its purpose is to showcase how artists bring together a variety of tesserae (tile, crockery, glass, wood, marine debris, metal, ceramics, etc.) to create a piece of art. Several surfboards will also be displayed with mosaics on them!
Interested in creating your own mosaic? Two Saturday workshops will be hosted during the exhibit by different mosaic artists. Don Elwing, a marine debris artist, will host a keiki workshop on September 17, 1 to 3 pm. Gerdine Markus, the show coordinator, will host a stepping stone demo and show tour on September 24, 1 to 3 pm. For more information, or to sign-up, please call Wailoa Center, (808) 933-0416. Families can participate in these educational events. Spaces are limited to 20 participants.
Mahalo to the participating artists, Mary Beth Binder, Ian Brown, Star Carlin, Paulo Capralis, Don Elwing, Dani K. Fowler, (KVA's very own) Kathleen Jaeger, Carrie Kaufman, Mark Kimball, Sandra Lane, Maria Macias, Gerdine Markus, Jillian Marohnic, Yamaya Moonshine, Noel Morata, Sarah Ortega, Michael Reeder, Tina Reeder, Ann Rothstein, Nita Smith, J.Jay West, and Mariana Zopel.
Wailoa Center is under the Division of State Parks, the Department of Land and Natural Resources. Wailoa Center is free and open to the public during the exhibit, Monday thru Friday from 9 till 4 pm. The Center will also be open Saturday, September 17 and 25 from 1:00pm to 4:00pm, with mosaic workshops from 1:00 - 3:00pm. Wailoa Center is closed on Monday, September 5 for Labor Day. For more information please call (808) 933-0416.
Living in a small town on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, well, it is a unique experience. In some ways, it is idyllic with few people, beautiful beaches, even more beautiful sunsets, year-round tropical weather, and all that goes with it. Consistently among the top-rated tourist destinations worldwide, we just call it home.
Local art, likewise, reflects our island lifestyle. Colorful inspiration surrounds us from rich history, stunning skyscapes, an active volcano, and amazing marine animals. It seems every one of our KVA artists takes at least some inspiration from our tropical paradise. Please enjoy this glimpse into the world we live in here.
Art Journeys with Tamisha Lee:
Stained Glass from the Industrial Revolution to the Modern Age
Stained glass windows had been used in Medieval times to communicate to a largely illiterate populace. With the rise of the Protestant movement, the decline of the Catholic Church, and the ravages of the Thirty Years War, stained glass workshops were destroyed and the art form experienced a lull that lasted until the 19th century, not coincidentally, along side the rise of the Industrial Revolution.
The renaissance of stained glass happened as a direct result of the Industrial Revolution and the birth of a new wealthy merchant class. John La Farge and Louis Comfort Tiffany were makers of stained glass during the Art Nouveau period, and created opalescent, confetti, drapery, and ridged glass. The windows of Louis Comfort Tiffany, Marc Chagall, and Frank Lloyd Wright are fine examples of modern stained glass windows. These windows could usually be found in residences and businesses and not so much in churches and they depicted romantic scenes of nature or Japanese inspired geometric abstract designs.
Today, stained glass runs the gamut from windows and other two-dimensional works to large scale, three dimensional pieces. Our own Bill Jaeger does both flat and 3D objects.
Whether depicting present or past, Christal Nylin draws viewers into her scenes.
Nylin's "Vintage" paintings are derived from grainy black and white photos depicting Kona life in the 1800s. In composing these paintings, she combines her familiarity with the island and locations where the photos were taken, historical research on life during those times, and imagines herself there in that time and place. Then she paints, adding depth, color, and detail to share that moment in time with others.
Anyone familiar with Kailua Bay will recognize the seawall depicted below, but the architecture, clothing, corrals, and horse-drawn carriage clearly depict a different time. In the center of the painting Nylin includes three ladies attired in "Sunday" dresses and hats, probably on an afternoon stroll after attending church. Their fine attire contrasts to the rest of the scene enough to draw the viewer into the painting, to study it more carefully, and parse out the story.
Another "Vintage" painting depicts horse-mounted Hawaiian paniolo cowboys dragging a steer into the water. There is an actual video recording of this process, filmed around 1937, preserved in the Smithsonian's Human Studies Film Archives, and available for viewing on YouTube. The steer was driven/dragged into the water, then tethered to the edges a skiff, which would transport them a barge anchored in deeper water. The bovines were then hoisted out of the water by ropes and deposited into corrals on the barge.
Nylin's time travel is not limited to the 1800s. Her painting, "Kona Daz" takes us to Kailua Bay in the seventies. The landmark stone church reminds us where we are, though now it is accompanied by a taller steeple. There's a multi-level architecturally uninspiring apartment building in the background. Amidst the modernization, aged corrugated roofs, wrap around lanais, gravel driveways, and sun-faded "beach cars" persist. High fashion is about board shorts and bikinis, and Life is about packing up and going to the beach.
Throughout the month of September, the gallery's featured walls will host Nylin's "Kona Daz",(original) "Kona Paniolo" (original), "Sunday Morning" (giclee), "Maheiula Winter storm" (original), and "Eva Parker Woods Cottage" (original).
September New Art at the Gallery
