Patrick Ching's Hawaiian Art Newsletter Summer 2021

Hawai'i Art News From

Aloha Friends,
.
Glorious days have been abundant lately as we enter into the full swing of summer. The picture above is from an Ohana Art Class that was held in San Diego a few years ago. This group included my Mom, two sisters and friends. When the Covid pandemic started, I cancelled all my scheduled painting workshops.

After a long intermission, I am resuming my in person painting workshops, but a bit differently than I've done in the past. The details are within this letter and I thank you for your requests and patience.

The Art Tip this time is on receiving artistic advice.
The art tips will also be recorded on video for the new section of my Painting in Paradise TV show called "Art Talk".

This month's featured Painting in Paradise show is on Hawaii's Stream life and the native goby (fish) called 'o'opu. Next month's show is on painting moonlight scenes.

The Favorite Photos section has some gems in it including a 1995 Picture from the artists of Native Books and Beautiful Things on Merchant Street in Downtown Honolulu.

A thought that came to my mind as I started to write this letter is “we are all a part of each other”. It's not just that all people are part of each other, but every animal and living thing including the Earth and sky are part of each other too.

To me it’s a reminder that every person in the world is our family and every living thing is too. So I ask you to remind yourself of this when you think of people on the other side of the world or even the other side of your views.

As for animals, try not to hate any species just because they scare you, or they happen to be born in a place where they are not wanted. All living things were created for good. Let’s do our best to treat the people and animals and planet like we treat our loved ones...with aloha.

With thanks from me,
.

Receiving Artistic Advice
Think about the times people gave you compliments on your art. It probably felt good, or at least, not bad. Now think about a time someone gave you a suggestion on how you could improve your art. Were you OK with that or did it sting a little?

Have you ever entered an art competition or a juried art show and not been selected or got an award? I have and those apparent rejections often came with criticism or advice.

As a young artist I often got offended when receiving advice and I'd be quick to justify my reasons and defend my art. I held grudges for decades when I felt I was unjustly judged.

Well, I'm glad I've lived long enough to get over myself and try to hear what my advisors were trying to say. So now I'm here to encourage my artistic friends to get over being offended as early in life as you can.

When you create and display your art, you put it out there for people to react to. If someone critiques it, they are giving you input that is very valuable, even though you may not see it at the time. Even if you think their remarks are incorrect, what they really have asked you is to examine what they said and see if any of it rings true with you.

Now my process for receiving artistic advice is to first think about what the person has said and ask myself if I agree or not. At the very least it will cause me to further examine the aspect of my creation that compelled the person to speak about it.

Next I ask myself if the person was able to put their concern into the right words; like maybe they did have something helpful to say but did not say it in a way that I understood.

Sometimes I'll examine the advice and realize I just don't agree with it, and this helps me realize what is most important to me as an artist.

So when someone makes the effort to give you artistic advice, take it with appreciation and be thankful for the chance to get to know your artistic self even better.

Resuming Ohana Art Classes

As we emerge from the long break from live in person art classes, I’m re-starting my painting workshops in a different way.

With things to consider, like my rigorous travel schedule and Covid concerns, I’m now making classes available to those who want to book the whole class. This way the person who books the class will provide the location and include who they want.

These Family Style classes will be booked on an hourly basis with a 2 hour minimum. The class size is up to the organizer.
The hourly price of $250 includes all paints, canvas and supplies for small groups. Large groups may have an additional paints and supplies charge.

*The ideal size for advanced learning is 4 people and 4 hours.

Participants may choose the type of paints they want to use such as acrylic, oil, Genesis etc. I look forward to painting with those of you who are ready to get back to living through art.

P.S. I’ve had my shots.

You can contact me to discuss the unique particulars of your painting workshop request. I'll do my best to make it happen for you. To schedule a Workshop at your location email Aloha@PatrickChing.com

Painting In Paradise TV Shows

Featured Episode: 'O'opu
Hawaiiʻs streams have been a big source of wonder and learning for me. Whenever I discovered a new stream animal Iʻd run to the encyclopedia and try to read about them. As I grew up my interest in biology flourished. Soon I was creating wildlife art including coloring books. The above painting of Hawaiiʻs native stream animals was made into a poster for the Hawaii state division of aquatic resources.

There are four kinds of endemic gobies (fish) called 'o'opu that evolved in Hawaii:
The 'o'opu alamoʻo males have a distinct orange tail area.
The 'o'opu naniha has a dark band beneath its eye.
The 'o'opu nopili males have distinct black and white horizontal stripes, and the 'o'opu nakea is the largest of the native gobies.

One thing I find interesting about the 'o'opu nakea is that the males have a much larger mouth than the females.

*Color Book Art Available Free at PatrickChing.com

All of the native 'o'opu have pelvic fins that are fused together to form a suction cup. The suction cups help them to climb wet rocks and tall waterfalls to get to the higher mountain streams which are much safer from predators because most of the predacious stream animals can't climb waterfalls.

Mahalo to Skippy Hau of Hawaii State Division of Aquatic Resources, who showed me the native stream life on Maui, and to Cory Yap researcher at U.H.Mānoa, who leads virtual stream tours through the website nawaiekolu.org

The Next episode of Painting in Paradise will be on Painting Moonlight scenes.
*If you have a picture that you painted of the moon send it on over to Aloha@PatrickChing.com

*Teachers - Each Episode is like a Class on Art and Natural History and includes a Teachable Drawing Lesson.

*You can watch these and other episodes of Painting in Paradise
here on Patrick Ching Youtube

Lighthouse Shirts and Mugs

Now available at Hawaiian Island Cafe in Waimānalo. *A portion of sales benefit the Friends of Waimanalo.
The largest lighthouse lens in use today is at Makapu'u, on the island of O'ahu. The twelve foot tall Hyperradiant Fresnel lens is perched in its majesty overlooking Makapu'u and Waimānalo.

The new image added color to the original 100th Anniversary Makapu'u Lighthouse T-shirt originally designed by myself and artist Nick Black.

MAKAPU'U LIGHTHOUSE T-SHIRTS
Are printed in Hawaii by JCS in Halawa.
You can learn about the lighthouse, see styles, colors, and Order Shirts Here.