Mo'opuna
Acrylic 12 x 16
Gallery Wrap
$500

https://www.janewordtaylor.com/

Once in a while, when I am painting on location, a place opens up and shares a tiny bit of its story. I went to the Old Airport park 3 times to finish this painting. The first time was all about the clouds, the ocean, and the distant Mauna Loa. That first painting day, back in May, was the only time when Mauna Loa was clear and crisply visible. The second time was mostly about the tide pools. I had an interesting conversation with these two girls who were sitting in the water. One of them turned out to have a family historically involved with fishpond preservation, and I enjoyed talking to them immensely, so I put them in the painting. 

The third time I went, I was really unsure what the painting needed. I just knew it wasn’t finished and hoped something would come to me. I set up my easel and had not even started putting out the paint when it happened! I was approached by a lovely gentleman who  had seen the painting and said he wanted to show me something his great great grandfather (there might have been more greats) had passed down to his family. I followed him South about a hundred feet from my location and he pointed and said “can you see the faces?” I could see nothing that far away - my eyes aren’t that sharp. I took out my phone and asked if I could take a zoomed in picture, and he could show me. He was fine with that and there they were. I could not believe I’d been standing there painting those rocks for 3 separate times and not noticed. I do love discovering things like this. I told him about the faces I’ve seen in North Kohala on the cliffs, and he said he didn’t know their stories, but he did have a story for these:

He told me his great great grandfather shared with his family that this was “Auntie Pele and her mo’opuna, looking back towards Hualalai, Kilauea and Mauna Loa. Since that rock is sometimes popularly called “shark rock” I asked about that and he said, no that is just a modern thing.

I am naming the painting “Mo’opuna” which means grandchildren. I am deeply grateful for moments of connection like these, and that he was willing to share.

The Oldest Kona Store
Acrylic 12 x 16 on gallery wrapped canvas, ready to hang
Private collection

 I always love painting in South Kona. The steep hillsides provide wonderful contrasts of the lush countryside against the distant ocean and sky. Flowers abound and on this day, the fragrance of roasting coffee filled the air.

Maintained by the Kona Historical Society, the old Greenwell store is the oldest surviving store in Kona. Please check their website for historical information. 

https://konahistorical.org/hn-greenwell-store-museum

 

Kahalu'u Storm Gathers
Acrylic 12 x 16 on gallery wrap
Sold

This delicate bay provides a dynamic interface between ancient and modern, human and natural, lava and coral, calm and surf.  Offering a best first experience for snorkelers, it has become ground zero for both exciting education on the intricacies of the near-shore ecosystem, and difficult over-use.  In this painting tumbled bits of an old breakwater join pristine lava formations and sand to create the current shore-scape in this historic location.