Featured Artists: Joalene Young & Louie Perry III
Featured Cover Artist: Joalene Young
Joalene Young grew up surrounded by beauty in the art colony at Laguna Beach, California, where she lived until the age of 44. In school, she majored in English and minored in art. She married a fabulous abstract impressionist painter, R Young. He was a participant in the Festival of Arts of Laguna Beach and they were both in the Sawdust Art Festival, of which R Young was one of the founders. Joalene painted and sewed together circle couches, pillows, and hanging art for the Sawdust Festival.
Joalene and R Young also had a little art shop/gallery called R
oosevelt Plaza where they and various other Laguna Beach artists, many living on Roosevelt Lane in Laguna Canyon, displayed and sold their fine works of art.
They raised a beautiful daughter, also an accomplished artist who lives in Laguna Beach, and have a handsome grandson. In addition to all this, Joalene was a legal secretary for 25 years. Once she retired, she was able to focus on her art career, mentioning she’s “so blessed to be here in Hawai‘i in a whole new era!” How did she get here? She shares, “One day I got on a plane and moved to Hawai‘i and decided to stay forever!” Embraced by the aloha, she started taking pictures of all the magical wonder and beauty on Hawai‘i Island. This turned into a joy, a passion, and she wanted to share this magical place with everyone. That’s how Flowers of Aloha was created.
Joalene is a fine art photographer and conceptual artist, digitally turning her photos into paintings. She resides in Puna, surrounded by the beautiful rainforest. She turns her photos into paintings (giclée), specializing in flowers, land, and seascapes, all reflecting the magic and wonder of Hawai‘i.
Joalene’s art can be found at Puna Gallery & Gift Emporium, Pāhoa; One Gallery, Hilo; Jungle Love, Hilo; and Ipu Arts Plus, Holualoa.
For more information:
joalene-young.pixels.com
Facebook/flowersofaloha
Table of Contents Artist: Louie Perry III
Louie Perry III excels both as an artist and an athlete. He earned the nickname “Greece Lightning” by winning three gold medals in track at the 2011 Special Olympics world games in Greece.
He has taken photos on Hawai‘i Island for 15 years, many underwater in the Kapoho tide pools before the 2018 lava flow covered them, using a Go Pro while free diving. Recently, he’s been using his experience as a hunter to become a nature photographer, using an RX2 Sony hybrid camera.
Louie was the inspiration and co-founder of the Abled Hawaii Artists (AHA) Annual Art Festival, the largest celebration of the Americans with Disabilities Act in Hawai‘i. The 12th annual festival takes place July 20, 2019 at Prince Kuhio Plaza in Hilo. Louie’s work can also be found in Pāhoa at Sirius Coffee, Jungle Love, Lava Museum, and in Hilo at One Gallery.
For more information: facebook.com/louiegreecelighting.perryiii
