Paper Clip Sculpture

There is a wonderful and quaint collectible store called Mish Mash in the heart of Chinatown Honolulu, where I found vintage photos taken in Israel by an artist probably during the 70's and 80's. In wanting to creatively display them, I hot glued a bunch of paper clips into an empty Altoid container to create this sculptural image holder. Check out the other close ups below and feel free to leave a comment about what you think.

A Raw Heart

Give your heart someone this Valentine's Day! I did!

Inspired by Japan: Hawaii Potter's Guild

Esther Shimazu, "Cleaning My Head I and II"

My family and I left our car at Jiffy Lube for a jiffy lube and we decided to walk around the corner to get a burger for lunch. Before arriving at the burger joint we noticed that there was an event taking place at the Japanese Cultural Center which we decided to check out. There in the distance was my high school English teacher Pat Takeshita who articulated that we were at a ceramics show sponsored by the Toshiko Takaezu Foundation. The work speaks for itself with a very high level of talent from the Hawaii Potter's Guild. I hope that you enjoy these photos as much as we enjoyed the show!

Shelle Avecilla, "Smoke Stacks"

Judy Okimoto, "Angelina Flying"

Domenica Sattler, "Light:Happiness"

Yoko Haar, "Drifting"

Patti Gallagher-Jones, "Lost at Sea Fish"

 Pat Takeshita, "Copper Earth Willow"

Queenie Kwock, "Dimpled Shadows"

 Esther Shimazu, "Cleaning My Head I and II"

 Aaron Padilla, "Red Swril"

 Esther Norwell, "Lion Dogs"

Maile Yawata, "Boy Soldier"

Jewelry Maker Renae Erickson

Jewelry makers are a special breed of individuals who have the fortitude and tenacity to bend the will of raw materials to fit their vision. The result of their works are ornate creations made for decorating a person which gives birth to an individual style. My friend Renae is a jewelry makers who uses fire, metal clamps, resin, hardware tools, presses, etc... to create perfectly simple yet complex and artfully quaint gems that highlight the people wearing them. She carefully considers the design of each piece to ensure that the jewelry complements the fashion for the owner. Her pieces are bold but not overly done. It has taken many years for her to hone her skills making her work unique and sharp. Here are some pictures of her jewelry designs below:

Filigree Rings

 

 Earrings

Cherry Blossoms in resin. Stud earrings 1/2" in diameter

Cherry Blossoms in resin. Stud earrings 1/2" in diameter

Damask in resin. Stud earrings 1/2" in diameter

Vintage Swarovski crystal on antiqued bras

Vintage Bakelite Art Deco centerpieces with rhinestone; Clear Swarovski crystals; Green faceted Onyx Briolette; antiqued brass

Swarovski briolettes; red Garnet; Brass

Brilliant works of art Renae! rdecojewelry@gmail.com

Where to keep an Elephant?

 

The answer to the title is, "in the kitchen." I picked up this little elephant bottle opener at SF MOMA. It is a fun decorative piece that doubles as a conversation piece. The trunk and front feet pops open non-twist bottle caps, and the back fits over the twist-off caps. It is functional ApArTmEnT ArT.

Chinatown Boardroom

 

 Enoki the Boardroom Bulldog

The Chinatown Boardroom is a neat little space that pairs artwork with surfing and surfboards. It may seem odd at first but the concept of putting an art gallery and a surf shop together does work well. Owners Eric and Jackie and their friendly Bulldog Enoki have splashed color in a small space that flow like the tides. Upon stumbling in, there are photos from local photographers, prints from local print makers and even a couple of signed pieces from Shepard Fairey the contemporary artist/designer. The prices are reasonable and the art depicts the culture of surfing. They have a wide range of gift items ranging from wallets with edgy designs to ceramics Buddah Butter holders. There is a modest selection of surfboards and fins for the surfing enthusiast and some jewelry too.  We met with writer Stuart Coleman from the Oahu Surfrider Foundation who was doing a signing for his books "Eddie Would Go" and "Fierce Heart" at the Chinatown Boardroom.  Yeah, what a treat!

Acrylic Print by Roan Bennett

We purchased the above waffle cone print by Roanah Bennett which will be a nice addition to the art in our kitchen. You can find different artwork nearly every month at the quaint space of the Chinatown Boardroom. They share the same philosophy as Apartment Art which is to live large and live rich in  small spaces by rotating art and being simple.

Slow Art Friday

Slow Art Friday

 

The ARTS at Marks Garage

The Arts at Marks Garage is a gem for Honolulu's Chinatown art scene. Located in the heart of downtown, it is the pulse for promoting upcoming and well known local artists. As a non-profit gallery, it has been the leading advocate for culture and the arts, and for the revitalization of Chinatown. The quality of the artwork in Honolulu has improved tremendously over the last decade and a major contributing factor is Marks Garage. They continue to focus on showing the work from Honolulu's local artists. Other galleries that have emerged have also supported this art movement.

Tomorrow evening is Slow Art Friday and Marks Garage is featuring local glass artists for it's exhibition. The public is invited for a fun art walk through downtown Honolulu where unique artwork can be purchased as one of a kind Christmas gifts.

Sculptures by Angelica Reyes

Hog Board

Hog Cutting Board

Today's post is about functional art, specifically a cutting board. This simple piece is a slab of wood cut into a shape of a pig. It serves as an art piece when it is not being used, as a cutting board, and as a serving tray for cheese, chocolates, salami, or bite size h'orderves. It stands proudly over our sink.

The Guardian of the Sink

The side with the insignia is used for slicing meats like beef, chicken, fish or God forbid pork! Yikes!

Side of Cutting Board Used for Slicing Meats

The other side with no mark, is used for slicing fruits, vegetables, breads, or as a serving tray. Cheers!

The Childbirth Discussion

Natural Childbirth

When my wife was pregnant, we had spirited discussions about natural childbirth versus non-natural methods such as inducing labor and cesarean sections (c-sections) . The irony of it all was that we were hurled in the middle of a debate that wasn't ours. Although we were talking about the same thing, about which childbearing method is the safest for her and for the infant, we couldn't seem to see eye to eye. In the end we had a natural birth and the experience was wonderful but traumatizing for me. I was inspired by all of this to create two pieces to depict the debate.

NCB 1

 

C-Section Light

The beads nailed to the piece on c-section represents of the discomforts of medical intervention. This piece also functions as a light. It hangs in our living room as a conversation piece.

C-Section Lights off

Wine Crate and Wind Chime

Yesterday's post illustrated the intense labor that is involved when creating a design with origami. Above are two wind chimes that consists of over 3500 nailed silver pailettes on two painted 2x4 ft. boards. It is quite an intensive project to undertake. They hang in an entrance way reflecting light and shimmering and simultaneously resonating the sounds of running water when a light breeze flows through the space. The experience is absolutely mesmerizing and calming. How long does it take to make these wind chimes you might ask? It took nearly 35 hours to nail all of them in place if you work fast.

Click here to get pailettes.

Wind Chime (top) Wine Crate Shoe Boxes (bottom)

Wooden wine crates are becoming a thing of the past. Now days, wine is shipped in cardboard boxes which means that these crates are becoming a bit more rare. Some wineries still use wooden crates to pack their wine but after they are unpacked they are discarded. There is a local wine shop that sells them for just a few dollars each where I picked them up and made them into shoe boxes. Measuring about 7"x13"x20" they save a lot of walkway space.

 

Front View

I

Front View Opened

Side View 

I am writing the plans on making these wine crate shoe boxes. If you would like a copy, then please click here  or email me directly at apartmentarthawaii@gmail.com and I will send you a copy when I am finished writing.

Origami Folding

Crafted by Hiroko

I couldn't agree more with the saying, "patience is a virtue" especially when talking about Japanese origami folding. It is through intensive labor and precision that one must hand fold perfect corners for a thousand and one cranes to create strikingly beautiful framed designs for a traditional Japanese wedding. Folding them is the first step, the second is placing the cranes into a layout which also requires perfect hand and eye coordination, the last step is framing the design. The end result is a visually charming picturesque work of art for the newlyweds usually made by the bride or the bride's side of the family.

While usually framing two-dimensional designs are a way of displaying this type of origami, they may function as intricate statuesque designs as well.

Crafted by Judo Senseis

Wood turner Michael Lee

 

Michael Lee is a down-to-earth surfer at heart, family man, fine craftsman/wood turner, and gallery owner, who has a symbiotic relationship with wood. Casually dressed in an aloha shirt, shorts, and slippers at his annual Christmas sale, we had a conversation where he showed me his calloused fingertips from sanding his work. He has traditionalist values and he will not waiver to accept anything less than perfect. In a separate conversation, he said that he treats each bowl like it is his last creation. It is this kind of fortitude and focus that is reflected in the intensity and quality of the end product. His patient personality, calm demeanor, and positive attitude are traits that is reflected in his work. His work is a part of the permanent collection in the Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian American Art Museum; the Hawaii State Art Museum, the Contemporary Museum of Arts, he Hawaii Academy of Arts, etc. . .

 

One may think that it would be unaffordable to own something made by Mike Lee especially with the name and the reputation that he has created for himself. By representing himself at a artist-owned co-op gallery at the Gallery at Ward Centre, an average person can own one of his wonderful wood carvings/wood bowls. While there, you will find the work of other fine artists such as Doug Young, Debbie Young, Roger Whitlock, Jackie Mild-Lau etc. . . On any given day, you can meet any of them and ask them questions about their artwork. 

Click here to see more of Mike Lee's work.

                                                                 

Their annual holiday reception is coming up on December 11th from 12p.m. til 4p.m.  Check it out!

Wabi-Sabi

1

Wabi-sabi is a feeling of simplicity, so here's a haiku to describe my work.

Inanimate rock

Holds life and becomes alive

Subdued, submissive

2

 

 

3