Featured Artists: Trish Helms Kimball & Susanna Anderson

Featured Cover Artist: Trish Helms Kimball

Trish Helms Kimball grew up on Hawai‘i Island and has lived here for most of her adult life. Her family’s home was in Hilo, and they often spent weekends and summers at their beach house in Kona. Asked about this issue’s cover image, Trish says, “I was captivated by this little girl’s face. Her expression was one of quiet but intense curiosity.” Trish rendered the model who is from French Polynesia in celebratory dress and adds, “I titled the piece Mohea which means beautiful princess in Tahitian.”

Trish’s passion for the visual arts began early in her youth. For several years, Trish and her siblings studied art with artist Kay K. Yamamoto after school in Hilo. She learned the basic skills of pencil drawing, charcoal, and later, oil painting. Summer art lessons in watercolor and other mediums were taken with Carol and Bob Rogers at the Kona Art Center. College studies began at Coe in Iowa, then New York City for independent study, University of California at Santa Cruz, and back to Hawai‘i where she graduated with a bachelor of fine arts in drawing and painting from University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Trish shares, “My career path meandered into advertising, kitchen design, architecture, architectural renewal, consulting, and eventually into teaching.” When Trish retired in 2013, she was finally able to return to her original fine art pursuits.

Up to this time, she’d had experience in all painting mediums except pastel. Trish explains, “It was in 2014 that an artist friend shared her pastels with me and I realized I had found my perfect medium, which complements my strengths in drawing and shading. Of all the painting mediums, pastel has the least amount of binder and therefore yields the most saturated and intense colors. Since making a commitment to work solely in pastel, I have been able to study with several master pastel artists. I owe all of what I know about pastel portraiture to local master pastel artist Kathy Long. She took me under her tutelage for about two years. My art currently encompasses representational landscapes, florals, and portraits. I hope to continue to paint, that my art attracts a bigger audience and is regarded as an expression of a world we need to preserve and care for.”

Trish finds inspiration all around, saying, “It’s in the seeing and the capturing of the details.” She currently resides with her husband and family in Waimea. Her work can be viewed at the Big Island Art Fair venues currently held in Waimea and by appointment at her studio.

For more information: trishhelmskimballart.com

Table of Contents Photographer: Susanna Anderson

Susanna Anderson’s love for photography began in high school, then was rekindled 10 years later, after giving birth to her daughter at home and having a birth photographer present. The pictures encouraged her to believe in herself, just as she had during her home birth, and she pursued her long-lost dreams of making photography her career. Every year since her daughter’s birth has marked a different stage in her photography, growing from an interest in birth, motherhood, and family photography, to jungle boudoir portraiture, and most recently couples and elopements.  

Susanna has lived on Hawai‘i Island eight years, and says, “As any photographer on this island knows, there are endless sources of inspiration to be had here, but the lava rock tide pools and green lush jungle vibes of the east side have my heart. Also, going out with my girlfriends for a fun photoshoot together always fills my creative cup. My favorite type of people to photograph are those who want to make something special together. That doesn’t mean you have to be confident, or photogenic, or know how to model, it just means you are willing to show up and trust the process, let go of control, and see yourself for the masterpiece you are.”

For more information: susannaanderson.com