The Sister Trip to Hawaii - Installment II (The Arrival)

Waikiki

South Carolina to Hawaii - quite a lengthy flight!  I think Sis and I hit the "Wall" about eight hours into it.  Sis made an bad selection for lunch, that was her wall, and is the preface for the unfortunate choices we made after our feet hit the soil of Oahu.

The morning following our arrival as we were enjoying  managing to eat our complimentary breakfasts (one of us still queasy) we discovered that we were a captive audience for the tour guides, who employed the tactics of used car salesmen. They bombarded us with entertainment options that had to be confirmed immediately because the events (according to them) were practically filled to capacity.  Foggy, jet lagged brains began selecting events for the extent of the stay, the rest is history.

The first (and most annoying) excursion was to  Maui Divers, a jewelry emporium.  This was a bad choice from the get go but it seemed harmless, and was a short jaunt from our hotel. The brochure said two hours for the tour - in our jet lagged lapse of judgment we opted for a quick "Two Hour Tour" then back to the hotel for much R & R.

We knew we were in trouble as soon as we entered.  Each one of us, all forty or so of us, had a sales person who obviously was appointed to follow us (just in case we had any questions).  If we had been stupid we would have been flattered by the attention.  "Don't you like this?  Don't you want to buy this??  Incessant sales pressure.  One important tip, if you are ever in a situation like this, don't make eye contact! We had been had!  Our personal spaces were being invaded and that is just plain rude, this doesn't sit well with Southern Belles or Gents.

The mental image etched into my brain for all time is my ankle tightly held by a M D sales person, dragging behind me as I make my way to the exit door.  Five stars for persistence.


This is the surreal stuff movies are made of - the "Two Hour Tour" had morphed into the longest day.

Hours later we were able to manage our escape.  The cost of our exodus, a seventy-two inch strand of real honest to goodness fresh water pearls for twenty dollars - the memory of this hilarious waste of a day in paradise - priceless!

The Sister Trip to Hawaii - Installment l

Banyan Tree - Oahu

2001 was a very well traveled year for me.  A trip to Italy and a trip to Hawaii.  I accompanied my sister with a group of realtors to Oahu in May.  Many unusual incidents in Oahu.  One I will be blogging about in the near future. 

For my blog visual, I choose to begin with a tree, however, the story has nothing to do with this tree, it is a painting I have lost track of, a gallery that went south and I couldn't retrieve my work, probably, it happens.

I was thinking about 911 today and realized that this Hawaiian vacation was in 2001, four months before the horrific attack we endured.

My sister and I had befriended a young Brit who was traveling alone and staying in our hotel.  He shared many meals with us.  One evening we began talking about the random bombings in Great Britain.  We were curious, and asked him how could he live with the possibility of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, any day, any where in London?  His answer - It is something you learn to deal with because life goes on every day.  One story he shared with us was an evening in a local pub, the patrons realized that there was a package sitting at an unoccupied table  -  the pub was emptied in moments.

We were stunned by this story and extended our condolences.  I will never forget his response - You are such innocents, in time, this will be a normal way of living in your country (USA) also.  You are such innocents.

And we were, innocents, and we lost it four months later, September 11, 2001.

One June morning in Venice!  The view from beneath the Bridge of Sighs. 

Only one day in Venice, not enough time to feel the true local flavor of this intriguing place.  

I saw the entire city in shades of shell pink, blue and green.

The expected fare from an artist experiencing Venice for the first time, I'll admit!

Giverny Luncheon

The day we toured Monet's home and gardens in Giverny, we took a mid day break for lunch.  An alfresco event !  

In an instant, I became a "people watcher".  The sun was cutting through the trees and just happened to illuminate this couple. 

I think this tells an interesting story.

It is obvious that they are at total ease with one another, which I found intriguing.  I am drawn to cafe scenes.  It seems that sharing meals in France is a relaxed social event, no hurry to give that table up for another party, people are allowed to enjoy the total experience.  

Bon Appetit !

The Lily Pond - Giverny

I know, every artist who has ever been to Giverny has painted this scene.  

It is just too tempting not to paint it.  Of course, I put my own spin on it.

The painting is the result of the second Normandy painting trip.  We made reservations to paint in Monet's garden six months in advance.  Six American painters and the gardeners, no tourists for the entire day.  

It was really difficult to paint on location; the gardens are so vast and wildly colorful, even in October, focusing is very hard.  Too much to take in at one time.

One of the painters remarked upon leaving the lily pond that the experience was similar to being in a cathedral, she was right.  It was an humbling experience, the master was here, painted here, ate, drank and made merry here.  

If you haven't experienced this wonderful place, it is a must, especially if you are an artist. 

Rocky of Rouen

Rouen

This is not the typical painting subject matter most artists choose from a trip to Rouen.  The Notre Dame cathedral that Monet painted over and over again, in every season, time of day and weather condition - stunning. This cathedral had been burned into my minds eye before I saw it.  Also I faced the fact that no one could compete with the master's canvases.  Besides, I was going to record my memory of this place.

Upon leaving Rouen that September afternoon, we paused to be refreshed alfresco.  Sidewalk cafes were stacked side by side, it was difficult to locate a table that was not occupied.  The unengaged table we found was indeed engaged by a basset hound named Rocky who was sprawled underneath the table, his right front paw partially covering a huge croissant.  He didn't seem particularly interested in us, however, anytime a male came within ten feet he would bark incessantly.

So, we were told the story -- Rocky of Rouen.  Rocky belonged to the cafe owner. Each morning Rocky would make his rounds, the butcher shop, the seafood shop, the pastry shop and so on.  Rocky would stop in the doorway of each shop where he would be rewarded with a treat from the shop owner --  he consumed these morsels immediately.  His last stop was the bakery, where he was given a fresh croissant.  The croissant would be carried home intact and would be guarded for the remainder of the day until twilight - when the croissant would be eaten.  The waitress who shared this story with us invited us to come into the cafe, where a life sized ceramic replica of Rocky, a gift from a local artist, was displayed.  This dog was the toast of Rouen! 

The painting??  I snapped this shot while my fellow artists were securing our table.  The memory had been captured, the day I met Rocky, the croissant toting basset hound - Rocky of Rouen.

Etretat - The Painting

 Etretat Update

 Etretat - the painting - resides in Tennessee - with one of my favorite collectors.  I had an email from the gentleman this weekend, 9/28/13, assuring me that he was still smitten with the work.  It was so nice to hear from him and nicer yet - that he was enjoying the piece!


This painting was completed in my studio and is the result of a plein air painting trip to Normandy in 2006.  I used a palette knife, it is oil on canvas and the dimensions are 30" x 40".  It is the last painting I sold before the economy took a nose dive.  I would have held onto this one, but my cottage is too small, the ceilings are too low, it needed a proper home, and it found one.

As I was painting Etretat I fell in love with it. When I fall in love with a painting, I tend to slow down the painting process  ----  the truth is I begin to have a relationship with the work and start to experience  premature separation anxiety.  I would go into an altered state of conciousness every session, and when I do this, I am working entirely out of the right brain - I don't think, I create.  This doesn't happen with every painting, when it does - - - euphoria!

There is an inner peace that follows the completion of a work well done!

Just Finished!

Tulips

by Jean Hanna

Check out this great piece of art on Saatchi Online.