Through the Wide Lens of Kornelius Schorle
By Stefan Verbano Kornelius Schorle deals in postcards from the past. Peering through his camera lens, working with the care and patience of a master craftsman, he has preserved forever—in saturated colors—beloved Hawai‘i Island places that will never be seen…
Photos, Recycling, and the Blues: Paul Buklarewicz’s Sustainable Combination
By Catherine Tarleton What do a professional photographer, blues harmonica player, and recycling educator have in common? In the case of Paul J. Buklarewicz of Volcano, they’re all the same guy. A modern-day Renaissance man, Paul is a career educator,…
Two Artists Transform Trash into Treasure
By Karen Valentine When two artists each blend their creative talents with their passion for the environment, magic can happen. For both Kat Crabill and Mattie Mae Larson, growing up in Hawai‘i meant falling in love with the ocean—only to…
Nick Wong: Hawai‘i’s Rising Talent
By Mālielani Larish In his music video entitled “Flowers,” Hawai‘i-grown musician Nick Wong strolls through cherry blossom trees, holding hands with a mysterious person who hides behind a waterfall of black hair. They laugh, dance, and stargaze together amidst the…
Featured Artists: Angela Yarber & Shelly Batha
Featured Cover Artist: Angela Yarber Rev. Dr. Angela Yarber is the artist, author, professor, and executive director of the Tehom Center, a nonprofit organization which teaches about revolutionary women through art, writing, retreats, and courses. With a PhD in art…
Life is a Muse for Artist Sachi
By Fern Gavelek Sachi, the artist formerly known as Karla Musacchia, has been an award-winner since the 1970s. Before that, she mingled with celebrities in Malibu, was Playboy magazine’s first surfer girl centerfold, and appeared in Hollywood movies. The 74-year…
Featured Artists: Brenda Meriwether & Deborah Beaver
Featured Cover Artist: Brenda Meriwether Decorative ceramic tile artist Brenda Meriwether was influenced by the 60s culture of the San Francisco Bay area. Brenda’s mother had artistic tendencies and her brother is an amateur cartoonist—art was encouraged in their home.…
Featured Artists: Linda Rowell Stevens & Barbara Hanson
Cover Artist: Linda Rowell Stevens Linda Rowell Stevens moved to Hawai‘i in 1978, at age 21. She began her art career as an artist doll maker, selling her dolls in galleries. Her dolls were award-winning—even shown in a Los Angeles…
Kākau: The Nearly Lost Art of Hand-tapped Polynesian Tattoos
By Star Bolton The Polynesians were a seafaring people who navigated the seas and settled in several of the islands of the Polynesian triangle (the Hawaiian Islands being at the top most northern point). The further south you travel, you…
Holualoa Gallery: A 30-Year Retrospective with Matthew & Mary Lovein
By Kristina Anderson For more than 30 years, Matthew and Mary Lovein’s Holualoa Gallery anchored the center of this small art hamlet in the lush upcountry of Kailua-Kona. Not only was the gallery location central and highly visible, the Loveins…
Pana Jones: From Ocean Waves to Airwaves
By Sara Stover “I’d say I wanna go back to my little grass shack but I’m already hereAin’t no disappearing, for me it’s clearI’m on a high, livin’ life aquaticSpear into my crystal, my blue simplistic, tropical, unique, diverse, exquisite……
Featured Artists: Suzy Papanikolas & GP Merfeld
Featured Cover Artist: Suzy Papanikolas Suzy Papanikolas’s paintings grab your attention immediately. While visually stunning with their vibrant colors and textures, they are most remarkable for their sense of drama and the window they open into the emotions of those…
Featured Artists: GP Merfeld, Richard Koob, & Arthur Johnsen
Featured Cover Photographer: GP Merfeld In the 11 years since being featured on Ke Ola Magazineʻs first cover, GP Merfeldʻs passion has continued with his Portraits of a Culture project, concentrating on the activities and events unique to our islands,…
Hawai‘i Handweavers’ Hui: Hard Work and Endless Play
By Catherine Tarleton Words about weaving conjure up artistic images all of their own. We weave stories, spin a “yarn,” and embroider narrative with detail. In Hawai‘i, we weave a tapestry of cultures, from East and West, ancient and current.…
Peer through the Lens of Photographer Wayne Levin
By Fern Gavelek Award-winning photographer Wayne Levin has exhibited images in galleries around the globe. You can see his work in New York’s Museum of Modern Art and the Dimbola Museum and Galleries in England. His photos have appeared in…
Featured Artists: Francene Hart & Ethel Mann
Featured Cover Artist: Francene Hart Francene Hart knew as a child she would be an artist. She grew up in the middle of the US, spending 26 years in northern Wisconsin where she built a log home and discovered a…
Kathleen Abood Creates Purpose, Connects to Imagination Through Art
By Fern Gavelek One woman’s trash is another woman’s treasure. This saying rings true for Kathleen Abood, who collects treasures to create art with intention. “I’ve always made stuff out of what I have on hand,” muses the Kailua-Kona resident.…
The Art of Stopping the World: Gary Ackerman
By Sara Stover Most people would label their day as a bad one after being stung by a jellyfish. Gary Ackerman classified it as inspiration. Stung during one of his routine morning swims, the Hawai‘i resident and artist behind a…
Drew Daniels: Fertility from Fire
By Mālielani Larish Everything is perfect; everything is aligning, Drew Daniels thought to himself. Gazing at soft morning clouds framing a gold-dazzled ocean, he gently rocked his baby girl to the rhythm of cane grass dancing in the wind. Two…
Featured Artists: Diane Tunnell & David Gallegos
Cover Artist: Diane Tunnell Diane Tunnell was born in Billings, Montana. She grew up in Bartlesville, Oklahoma and Littleton, Colorado. Her dream at age five was to become an artist. She studied art at Colorado State University, received a BA…
The Meditative Nature of Carving Stone
By Karen Valentine Kapono For sculptor Fred Soriano, it’s a working partnership with the stone sculpture he is crafting that is both difficult and peaceful. Contemplating his creations, you get that impression yourself. Where did that stone come from and…
Mission. Quest. Obligation. Love affair. Award-Winning Photographers on Hawai‘i Island
By Catherine Tarleton Daredevils, geologists, surf and ski bums, travelers, divers, authors, artists, and poets with pictures, Hawai‘i Island’s award-winning photographers are known around the world. These intrepid souls will go—sometimes literally—to any heights and depths to capture their spectacular…
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…
Maka Gallinger: A Performer with a Purpose
By Tiffany DeMasters For singer-songwriter Maka Gallinger, it’s not about the number of shows she books, but the message she spreads through her music. Born and raised in South Kona, Maka has been surrounded by music her entire life. She…
Stan Kaina: The Voice that Connected to the Aloha in Us All
By Sara Stover Hula dancer Pi‘ilani Rodrigues of Hilo passed by the enduring trees of Banyan Drive, their roots descending from thick branches towards the ground below. Heavenly music floated out of Uncle Billy’s Hilo Bay Hotel, carried into the…
Featured Artists: Richard Mortemore & Gail Griffin
Featured Cover Artist: Richard Mortemore Richard Mortemore, better known as “Dick”, was born and raised in Lambertville, Michigan where he remembers running around barefoot and exploring the farmlands and surrounding woods and streams. This is where his fondness and fascination…
Fantuzzi: Global Troubadour at Home on Hawai‘i Island
By Mᾱlielani Larish Awakening to ocean breezes and bird song, Fantuzzi looks forward to a day of wrestling with rocks, planting trees, and honoring Pele on the land in lower Puna that he calls home. After months of performing in…
Castles in the Sand
By Catherine Tarleton On any given day, a sunset beachgoer might take the stroll along Kauna‘oa or Mau‘umae beaches and happen upon something remarkable. Spires and staircases of sand stand in wait for some tiny mermaid; tan-khaki-taupe hibiscus and plumeria…
Featured Artists: Rita French & Tommy Adkins
Featured Cover Photographer: Rita French Rita French was born and raised in Montana, but knew from about seven years old that Hawai‘i was her real home. It only took her 55 years to get here! 11 years ago she sold…
Featured Artists: Melissa Michelle Chimera & Georgia Michalicek
Featured Cover Artist: Melissa Michelle Chimera Melissa Michelle Chimera is a Honolulu native of Filipino and Lebanese ancestry, who moved to Honoka‘a almost a year ago with her husband and son. Melissa studied natural resources management at University of Hawai‘i…
