Meet the Artists of South Kona

Artists are often reclusive people. You may imagine them sitting in a messy studio, contemplating the universe until some inspiration enters their being, causing a masterpiece to be born. That may not be too far from the truth!

Bringing their work out into the open so that we may appreciate—and hopefully buy—it is a necessary end to the process. Thankfully, a group of brilliant artists in South Kona has pooled their talents into a two-day, weekend event inviting the public into their studios: the annual SOKO studio art tour, Saturday and Sunday, February 25-26.

Inspired by two successful California open studio tours in which they participated for many years, accomplished artist, author, and photographer Kathleen T. Carr and painter Linda Purcell Satchell started talking with their neighbor artists in South Kona several years ago about doing something similar here.

Kathleen is a professional and fine art photographer, teacher, author, and a former staff photographer at the Findhorn Foundation, Scotland, and Esalen Institute, Big Sur, California during the ‘70s and ‘80s, as well as a former Polaroid Creative Uses Consultant. She has published four books and a DVD of underwater videography with humpback whales. Since 2006, she has lived in Hōnaunau, where she conducts an annual women’s photography workshop.

SOKO, South Kona Artists Collective, was born out of the local artists’ discussions and their first studio tour was held in 2015 along the scenic roads overlooking the island’s leeward coast and Kealakekua Bay, from Hōlualoa to Hōnaunau.

This year’s tour will feature 22 unique artists, selected by a jury committee for their talents, their work, and their medium. Eleven studios/locations will be open from 10am to 4pm on Saturday and Sunday.

“Our first tour had 16 artists at 13 locations; now it has grown to 22 member artists, who have to apply to be included. We want to keep a high level of quality and a variety of media. This year we have seven potters, and others are showcasing jewelry, photography, painting in oils and watercolors, quilt making, sculptures with assemblage and found art, wood carving, print making, weaving, and mixed media,” said Kathleen.

To see a preview of the SOKO Studio Tour art, you can visit their upcoming display at SKEA’s Annual Membership Day on January 29 at their Hōnaunau campus. Most of the artists will have up to five pieces in the preview, Kathleen says. SKEA (Society for Kona’s Education & Art) is a partner with the SOKO collective. Enjoy live music, hula and more from 2pm to 5pm and pick up a catalog with map for the SOKO open studio tour.

Both organizations get additional help from the Hawai‘i Department of Research and Development, the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, through appropriations from the Hawai‘i State Legislature, and by the National Endowment for the Arts.

A beautiful scenic drive in the country will be only part of the visions you’ll see as you visit the studios of the following talented (and sometimes famous) artists, arranged in order of their locations on the map:

1. The studio and home of Andrea Pro is located on a coffee and macadamia nut farm in Keauhou mauka (inland), just north of the Donkey Mill Art Center. Her woodcut and other styles of printmaking are inspired by the natural environment around her. (andreapro.com)

2 & 3. Next studio is on Donkey Mill Road, also in the quaint coffee-growing and art community near Hōlualoa. There you’ll find two artists. Jan Bovard, veteran and internationally traveled ceramicist, offers fine, functional potter influenced by Japanese master potters and their culture. For a different look, enjoy the found art assemblages of Jozuf Hadley, who is also known for his Pidgen Poetry books (see Ke Ola magazine Nov/Dec 2016). Sculptural arrangements combining and juxtaposing natural objects and salvaged things manmade, ranging from children’s blocks and wooden tools to pieces of fine Asian art, are combined in various pleasing ways. (jozufhadley.com)

4. Traveling south on the Hawai‘i Belt Road (Highway 11) to Kealakekua, look for Discovery Antiques, located on the makai (ocean) side of the road. There, owner Peter Underwood has his studio and gallery. The antiques he acquires and sells have also given him inspiration to “re-imagine junk into art” and put together various assemblages ready for display in new ways.

5 & 6. Turn down the street just past Manago Hotel in Captain Cook and find an impressive downstairs studio tucked away under a house at the end of the Kololeke St. cul-de-sac in Cooks Landing subdivision. There you’ll find two internationally known and award-winning photographers displaying their images and published art books. Kathleen T. Carr, underwater photographer and producer of digital prints and art from Polaroid images, exhibits black and white, infrared and color landscapes, and underwater images. (kathleentcarr.com)

Wayne Levin (see Ke Ola magazine Nov/Dec 2016), offers a vast selection of underwater black and white prints. (waynelevinimages.com)

7. Look for the Coffee Shack restaurant along Highway 11 in Captain Cook. Across the road, you’ll find the studio of Mark Martel, fi ne artist, cartoonist, comic book illustrator and writer. Browse his varied selection of landscapes, wildlife, figures and abstracts in a diverse range of styles and media—drawing, watercolor, acrylic and pastel. (martelart.com)

8, 9, 10. Continuing south on the highway, in Hōnaunau, is SKEA (Society for Kona’s Education & Art), housed in a historic building and campus of a former Japanese schoolhouse. Three artists can be found here, in the main schoolhouse building. In the main room, Ellen Crocker, quiltmaker and painter, who has studied ink brush technique and Japanese wax resist (Roketsu-zome) on silk, displays her painting on paper, wood and fabric, along with art quilts. (ellencrocker.com) Joyce Monsky and her pottery is in the adjacent art room, offering clay sculpture incorporating movement, color, form technique and wire. On the front porch you’ll find weaver and fabric artist Kim Thompson, showing hand weaving, eco print and natural dyes on silk.

11-15. The Kona Potters Guild has their group studio behind and below the SKEA schoolhouse. Just walk around and down! Displaying their works there are five potters. Pottery lovers will be immersed in its diversity. Alysia Samaru, creates porcelain and earthenware pottery with functionality and expression, personalized by the inspired textures of nature and bright colors. Ina Koch is the designer of internationally inspired, hand-built pottery with a variety of glazing techniques. Lynn Peavy, shows hand-thrown, porcelain, functional and Raku pottery. Linda Savell also offers functional and decorative pottery, as well as decorative fish. In work by Ru Carley, you’ll find high-fire stoneware for the home and garden.

16 & 17. At the Hōnaunau intersection, take a turn down the highway toward Pu‘uhonua O Hōnaunau. On the right side, you’ll see the flag for the driveway leading to the home studio of Linda Purcell Satchell. You can also park on the highway and walk up. Linda’s diverse art includes paintings in oil and chalk pastels and Hawaiian ipu (gourd) art. (lindapurcellsatchellart.com)

In the same house are colorful, intricate and reflective paintings in watercolor and acrylic by Pamela Colton Thomas. (pamelacoltonthomas.com)

18. A drive down Nāpō‘opo‘o Road, either from the main highway or by taking the Hōnaunau Highway to Painted Church Road and Middle Ke‘ei Road, will bring you to Kealakekua Bay Estates, overlooking Kealakekua Bay and Captain Cook’s monument. The house and studio of Michele Iacobucci can be found there, showing her mosaic art for the garden, using combinations of glass, pottery and substrates of found objects.

19 & 20. Continuing down Nāpō‘opo‘o Road, you turn right on Meli Road, which leads to Big Island Bees. Just before that is the large studio of Catherine Wynne, maker of quilting and fiber art. A veteran quiltmaker of traditional Hawaiian and artistic quilts, as well as a quilting teacher, the artist is a member of both Aloha Quilters of Kona and Ka Lae Quilters. (catherinewynnequilts.com)

Also at this stop is metal worker Willa Marten, featuring pewter castings and sculpture using found natural objects.

21. At the end of the road, in the shop at Big Island Bees, you’ll find jewelry by Gigi Goochey, who works in silver, gold, and various stones.

22. Clive Salmon’s studio is also just off Nā‘pō‘opo‘o Road, turning mauka at Red Ti Hale and counting two driveways on the right, then two on the left. His studio and house are filled with tiki furniture and accents. The artist creates South Seas inspired, tiki-style woodcraft with modern touches.

SOKO tour brochures and maps are available at Blue Ginger Gallery in Kainaliu, concierge desks at local hotels, Kona eateries, and at each artist’s venue. Pick up a brochure, and follow the bright yellow signs to discover wonderful art and visit with the artists in person.

All photos courtesy of SOKO

Contact SOKO Artists: sokoartists.com

Contact writer Karen Valentine: karenvalentine808@gmail.com