Art Runs in the Family

By Karen Rose

The familiar saying, “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” is true for one talented artistic family living on the island of Hawai‘i. Maya Sorum worked as the resident artist at Mauna Lani Resort for 36 years. Her daughter, Heather Mettler, is an award-winning glass artist, and Heather’s 10-year-old daughter, Ella, has her own business as a color pencil artist.

It’s not uncommon throughout history to find families within whose veins artistic talent runs. Art becomes a shared experience and strengthens bonds through creativity and common pursuits. This talented family of artists is an aesthetic example of how families who create together, stay together.

“I became interested in art when I was about five years old,” said Maya. “I carried around my little art pad with me wherever I went, and I started coloring and drawing. My parents saw that I had some talent, so they would give me things like oil painting kits and beading kits, anything that was creative.”

Maya’s parents supported her interest in art and encouraged her to do more with her talent. As time went by she fell in love with watercolors and made it her medium of choice in her late teens. A self-taught artist up to this point, Maya then studied oil painting at University of Wisconsin while living in Madison; however, it was watercolor that ultimately stole her heart.

“I remember drawing people and faces, but I didn’t know how to draw a nose, because it seemed so difficult,” she laughed. “Noses seemed so weird, not like eyes which have lines, or mouths which have definition. So, I would leave the nose out. Finally, my mom said, ‘You’ve got to start putting noses in.’”

When Maya had her children, she put away her paints and started working with colored pencil to maintain her need for creativity. Once they were old enough to start school, she returned to painting. It wasn’t until 1982, when Maya moved to Hawai‘i Island with her two children, Heather and Jason, that she became a professional artist and started the Artists in Residence Program at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel. She stayed there until they closed for renovations in 2018.

“After the Mauna Lani closed, I found an artists’ group out at Mauna Kea Beach Hotel that meets every other Sunday, and I just love it,” she said “On the other Sundays, when I’m not working at Mauna Kea, I participate in an artists’ group out at the Westin Hapuna Beach Resort. I’m very happy working at both these locations.”

Maya finds her inspiration in nature, flowers, and the vast marine life found in and around Hawai‘i. This made the Mauna Lani the perfect location for her to paint and create her beautiful watercolors.

“I really enjoyed being out at the Mauna Lani,” she said. “It was just such an amazing job and they were really good to me. They would set up my table, and I would sit inside by the waterfall and do watercolor demonstrations. I also sold my work there. Then I moved outside and painted underneath a tree between the pool and the ocean. It’s just such a gift to have a job like that, because it’s rare for an artist to be in a situation that allows them to raise children and be an artist.”

Today, Maya also finds inspiration in her daughter and granddaughter, both of whom have followed in her artistic footsteps.

“My granddaughter, Ella, and I will sit together and create art,” Maya said, “I’ll be painting and she’ll be using her colored pencils. Sometimes she’ll come over and say, ‘I want to finish this acrylic painting,’ and I’ll paint something while she’s working on her piece. It’s wonderfully fulfilling.”

Maya’s daughter, Heather, grew up seeing her mom work as a professional artist, and learned there were ways to be financially successful as an artist.

“I knew Heather had talent,” said Maya. “So, one day when we were on a walk, I said to her, ‘You know, you have talent. You really should use that.’ She responded, ‘Yeah, but I’m the kind of person who wants things to happen now.’ I explained that it didn’t work that way—that she had to practice. It’s like playing the piano. You can’t just all of a sudden be Mozart.”

When Heather was a young teen, she started working with a glass artist and, to Maya’s delight, she realized her daughter had found her passion, which eventually led to her career in the fine arts.

Heather uses glass as her canvas to reflect the inspirational beauty of the Hawaiian Islands. Her attraction to glass began when she was given the opportunity to apprentice with an artist who specialized in sandblasting. She went on to study mosaic design at the Pilchuck Glass School in Washington State, and then graduated with a bachelor of fine arts in glass from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.

Having moved to the island when she was six, Heather recalls how she was inspired to embark on her own artistic journey. “My mom instilled in me a love of art,” said Heather. “We always had lots of books in the house by different artists, like Georgia O’Keeffe and Gustav Klimt. She also inspired me through her love of nature. Weʻre a very nature-oriented family, and being here in Hawai‘i, there’s gorgeous beauty all around us.”

“My mom started doing watercolor painting as her primary work, so I grew up around her painting and being artistic,” said Heather. “At first, I never planned on becoming an artist. I thought I was going to go to law school. When I was young I wanted my own identity, but once I discovered glassblowing, I knew it was what I really wanted to do. Today, hand-blown glass vessels are my canvas, and I sand blast my art into the glass.”

After graduating from UH-Mānoa, Heather moved back to Hawai‘i Island and began working for a developer, got married, and gave birth to her daughter, Ella. When Ella turned two, Heather began creating her artwork full time and has been doing so ever since.

Today Ella is in fifth grade and has her art on notecards and purses. She also makes jewelry. Every year she sells her artwork at the family’s Christmas art show, and becomes more successful every year. She uses colored pencils and mixed media paper to create most of her pieces. Her artistic interests now expand into the culinary arts as well.

“I’m in fifth grade, and I like to do gymnastics and cook,” said Ella. “I learned how to cook this summer, surprisingly. I get my inspiration from nature and looking at photographs. I love drawing nēnē, our native flying bird, and a couple of years ago I won first place in an art contest.”

Maya witnesses the same passion she saw in herself and her daughter, in her granddaughter. “Ella sees her mom doing art and being successful, as well as her grandmother, and she just jumps right in,” said Maya. “She’s a can-do girl and a go-getter. In fact, Heather and I put on an art show every December, and about the third year, Ella said to her mom, ‘I would like to sell my art, too.’ So, we let her have half a table with her drawings and she made about $50 that first year. She was so excited!”

Without a doubt, we can expect great things from this young artist. Whether it be fine art, or gastronomical creations, she definitely has artistic creativity in her blood.

“I do art for fun and I might do it when I grow up too, but I’d also like to become a chef,” she said. “I like cooking desserts. My favorite thing to make is chocolate chip cookies.”

This December, the family will host their eighth annual art show at Heather’s home in Kona. Their art will be displayed for purchase, along with art from other local artists.

“In the past, the participants have always included me, my mom, and a few other local artists/crafters,” said Heather. “We usually ask someone new to join us each year. Ella has joined us the past few years, and artist Suzanne Wang will be showing this year as well. We serve light pūpū [appetizers] and refreshments at the event. It’s a fun and nice way to support local artists.”

Those interested in attending the art event should email Heather directly and request an invitation for the exact date, time, and location. ❖

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For more information:
mayasorum.com
heathermettler.com