Featured Artists: Phyllis Cullen & the Konawaena High School Mural Program
Featured Cover Artist: Phyllis Cullen
It’s the Beans! is the name of the fabric collage featured on the front cover of this issue. Designed and created by Phyllis Cullen, fabric artist and painter, this award-winning quilt was made for the Kona Coffee Festival in 2013. The quilt has been exhibited in over 30 venues around the world and is part of a book called Food for Thought. This art creation speaks to the exuberance of Phyllis’ mantra, “It’s all about the color. My goal is to recreate the color and light and bring out the story and the soul of my subject whether I am painting on fabric, canvas or paper, or in mixed media collages.”
After a career in medicine, specifically chronic pain management, Phyllis moved from Northern California to the Hāmākua Coast in 2012. Phyllis reflects on working on her art while practicing medicine, “Fabric is familiar and has a comfort factor. When I hung my fabric art in the [medical] clinic, I could see the effect of the color and warmth for the patients. It was soothing to them.”
Phyllis says she has always explored multiple mediums: photography, drawing, painting, mixed media, fabric, beads, and clay. While her favorite media is fabric art, Phyllis says, “I haven’t met a medium I didn’t like. I like fabric and thread for the texture, the sculptural effect, and how I can integrate printed fabric as anther design factor that simple painting can’t do.” Phyllis adds that living in Hawai‘i has enhanced her work with color. “I’ve always loved color and Hawai‘i stimulates that.”
Inspired by colorists throughout her life, Phyllis mentions her affinity for the likes of Afremov for his explosion of color, Matisse for his use of shapes, and Chagall for his stained glass windows. As with most impressionistic artists, the color tells the story.
Through the years, Phyllis has expanded to teaching art locally and internationally. She teaches at the Quilting on the Beach conferences via Quilt Passions in Kailua-Kona, at Kilauea Kreations in Hilo, and on the mainland. In the summer and fall of this year, Phyllis will teach in Israel and Mongolia and next year she will travel to Australia. Phyllis says of teaching, “I enjoy watching other people discover color and apply the principles of art to a humble media.”
You can see Phyllis’ artwork at One Gallery in Hilo and the Michael Arthur Jayme Gallery in Honomū.
For more information: phylliscullenartstudio.com
Table Of Contents Artists: Konawaena High School Mural Program
The Konawaena High School mural program was established in 2005. In total, the students have completed six community murals on the Konawaena campus, and five off campus.
There is no typical way a community mural begins, however all murals need a wall, a sponsor and an idea. Students from Konawaena High School and students from other schools are involved in the process from start to finish.
The Take Care of Uplands to Sea mural was completed by approximately 20 students grades 9–12 in 2011 and is on the S building of the Konawaena campus. In addition to illustrating plants, fruit and fish, the mural depicts hidden words in the volcano and hair of the wahine (women). Michelle Obregon, Arts and Digital Media teacher says, “This mural was displayed in front of the culinary class illustrating how the island of Hawai‘i nourishes us from the sea to the mountains.”
Currently at Konawaena, the 1001 Origami Crane community mural is being created by students, staff and volunteers. They have all contributed their messages of goodwill on individual hand-painted tiles. The mural will be ongoing for the next two years. There are three main panels of tiles symbolizing family, community and self.
If you would like to paint a tile of goodwill for the 1001 Origami Crane tile mural or help by donating to the mural, please contact Michelle Obregon at mobregon@konawaenahigh.k12.hi.us
