Maui Artist KURT FLOOD – 2003

Summary & Transcript

Maui Artist KURT FLOOD visits with Jason Schwartz https://MauiArtsandMusic.com. Kurt Flood has been an artist on Maui, Hawaii for a number of years. Jason walks through Kurt’s art space with him and shares his input on his visions.

Summary

This video interview offers an intimate and rich exploration of the life, art, and cultural contributions of Maui-based artist Kirk Nelson Flood, framed within the context of his artistic family and Hawaiian heritage. The interview takes place in the home of Kirk’s mother, Carla Flood, a respected community member and artist herself. Kirk, alongside his artistic sister Kathy and wife Andrea, represents a family deeply embedded in the arts, with diverse talents ranging from fine art painting and murals to faux painting techniques and ceramics.

Kirk shares his artistic journey from childhood, describing how painting served as a creative outlet inspired by his mother’s influence. Over the years, he has honed his skills in acrylics and mixed media, developing a unique style he terms “visionary realism,” which emphasizes atmospheric light diffusion and vibrant, almost surreal color schemes inspired by Maui’s natural beauty. His work often romanticizes local Hawaiian landscapes, integrating traditional cultural elements and stories, while maintaining authenticity through research and engagement with Hawaiian elders.

The interview delves into Kirk’s dual career as a fine artist and a painting contractor specializing in faux painting—an ancient decorative art involving wood graining, marbling, and trompe l’oeil effects. This crossover between commercial and fine art has enriched his techniques and broadened his creative vision.

Kirk’s studio, filled with large, vibrant original paintings and giclée prints, reflects his prolific output and passion for portraying Hawaiian landscapes, seascapes, and cultural imagery. The video captures his process, favorite tools (notably large house-painting brushes and even his fingers), and philosophy of “chipping away” at his work in small increments amid a busy family life.

In addition to his Hawaiian-themed work, Kirk has explored diverse subjects such as underwater scenes and portraits of jazz musicians, revealing his wide artistic range and technical versatility. The video closes with a warm invitation to visit his studio and gallery, highlighting the Flood family’s ongoing legacy in Maui’s art scene.

Highlights

• [03:57] ? Introduction to Kirk Nelson Flood and his art rooted in Hawaiian culture.
• [06:41] ?￢ﾀﾍ? Kirk’s artistic upbringing in a family of artists including his mother Carla and sister Kathy.
• [10:55] ? Kirk’s unique “visionary realism” style inspired by atmospheric light and Maui landscapes.
• [21:08] ? Showcase of vibrant paintings featuring Hawaiian volcanoes and seascapes.
• [27:00] ??ﾸﾏ Kirk’s painting techniques including use of large brushes and acrylics for fast, diffused effects.
• [33:18] ? Kirk’s dedication to cultural authenticity through research and interaction with Hawaiian elders.
• [37:26] ? Kirk’s diverse portfolio including portraits of jazz musicians using mixed media and scratch techniques.
  • • Key Insights
• [04:41] ? Family Influence as Artistic Foundation: Kirk’s early exposure to art through his mother and sister created a nurturing environment that fostered lifelong creativity. This highlights the importance of familial support and environment in the development of artistic talent.
• [10:55] ? Visionary Realism and Light Diffusion: Kirk’s style merges realism with a dreamy, ethereal quality by exaggerating colors and manipulating light diffusion. This approach allows his paintings to evoke the magical, almost surreal atmosphere of Hawaii, transcending simple photographic representation and offering emotional resonance.
• [07:32] ? Intersection of Fine Art and Commercial Painting:Kirk and his sister’s work in faux painting demonstrates how traditional decorative techniques can inform and enhance fine art practices. This blend of commercial and creative work provides financial sustainability while expanding artistic skills and innovation.
• [13:03] ? Cultural and Environmental Storytelling: Many of Kirk’s paintings incorporate native Hawaiian flora, fauna, and geographic features—such as the tropican bird and Maui’s valleys and waterfalls—embedding ecological and cultural narratives that educate and inspire viewers about the islands’ heritage.
• [24:44] ??ﾸﾏ Artistic Process and Tools: Kirk’s use of large house-painting brushes and fingers for broad, diffused strokes illustrates a practical adaptation of tools to achieve his signature atmospheric effects, emphasizing the artist’s tactile relationship with his medium and the importance of technique in shaping artistic vision.
• [33:18] ? Commitment to Cultural Accuracy: Through active research and dialogue with Hawaiian elders, Kirk ensures his art honors traditional Hawaiian stories and symbolism. This practice reinforces the role of contemporary artists as cultural custodians and bridges between past and present.
• [37:26] ? Diverse Artistic Range: Kirk’s portfolio extends beyond Hawaiian landscapes to include underwater scenes and intricate jazz musician portraits using innovative scratchboard techniques. This versatility reflects an artist unafraid to explore different subjects and media, enriching his creative expression.
  • • Expanded Summary (800+ words)

The video opens with a warm, aloha-filled atmosphere as the host welcomes viewers to an intimate sit-down with Kirk Nelson Flood, a Maui-based artist whose work deeply reflects Hawaiian culture, family heritage, and natural beauty. The setting is Kirk’s mother Carla Flood’s home, a respected figure in the Ki and W Lea community and an artist herself. The introduction immediately establishes the creative environment that shaped Kirk, emphasizing the artistic nature of his family, including his sister Kathy, known for her community murals, and his wife Andrea, also an artist.

Kirk describes how painting has been a part of his life since he was six years old, initially fostered by his mother as a way to keep the children creatively engaged on rainy days. This familial artistic legacy is a critical foundation for understanding Kirk’s development. Both he and his sister Kathy pursued formal fine arts education and blended their fine art sensibilities with careers as painting contractors specializing in faux painting—a decorative art form that involves creating illusions such as wood graining and marbling on walls and ceilings. This unique combination of commercial craftsmanship and fine art practices enriches Kirk’s artistic vision and technical capabilities.

The conversation turns to Kirk’s distinctive artistic style, which he terms “visionary realism.” Unlike strict photorealism, his paintings employ exaggerated color schemes and soft light diffusion inspired by the natural atmospheric conditions he experienced growing up in Northern California and now living in Hawaii. He consciously balances sharp clarity with diffused light to evoke a sense of presence and emotional depth, creating works that feel both real and otherworldly. This approach resonates with viewers who recognize the scenes as familiar yet enhanced by Kirk’s artistic interpretation, capturing the “magical” essence of Maui’s landscapes and seascapes.

Kirk shares several examples of his work, including large acrylic paintings featuring tropical birds such as the tropican, waterfalls, volcanic eruptions, and tranquil ocean inlets. His paintings often depict specific Hawaiian locales like the Iao Valley and the Ki Peninsula, but with a romanticized, visionary twist that invites viewers to experience the environment in a heightened, emotional way. The video highlights Kirk’s ability to weave natural Hawaiian beauty with traditional cultural elements, such as ancient priests and native wildlife, embedding stories and meanings that honor the islands’ heritage.

The interview also emphasizes Kirk’s artistic process. He prefers using large house-painting brushes, especially in the early stages of a painting, to create broad, blended areas of color and diffuse clouds quickly. His choice of acrylics, particularly Windsor Newton mural paints, allows him to work rapidly, maintaining the softness and fluidity of skies and atmospheric effects without unwanted hard edges. Interestingly, Kirk often uses his fingers to manipulate paint, underscoring the tactile and intimate nature of his creative process. His approach is both methodical and intuitive, involving repeated adjustments and stepping back to assess composition and light until the painting achieves the desired effect.

Beyond his Hawaiian-themed works, Kirk’s portfolio reveals a diverse range of interests and skills. He describes an underwater series titled the “Atlantis Suite,” which includes depictions of underwater volcanoes, pyramids, and fantastical architectural elements, blending mythology and imagination. Additionally, Kirk has produced numerous portraits of jazz musicians using mixed media and an innovative scratch technique where paint is removed to create the image rather than applied. This diversity showcases his technical mastery and passion for exploring varied subjects, enriching his artistic output.

Throughout the interview, Kirk’s dedication to cultural authenticity is evident. He maintains an ongoing dialogue with Hawaiian elders and conducts research to ensure that his portrayals of Hawaiian figures, traditions, and landscapes respect and preserve cultural integrity. This role as both artist and cultural custodian highlights the responsibility contemporary artists have to honor indigenous histories and keep traditions alive through their work.

The video closes with an invitation to viewers to visit Kirk’s studio gallery on Maui, where they can experience his vibrant original paintings and giclée prints firsthand. The studio is described as a creative sanctuary filled with energy and color—reflecting the artist’s deep connection to his environment and craft. The host expresses admiration for Kirk’s ability to balance family life with a prolific artistic career, noting his philosophy of “chipping away” at paintings in small increments to steadily realize his vision.

In sum, this video provides a comprehensive portrait of Kirk Nelson Flood as an artist, family man, and cultural ambassador. It celebrates his technical skill, artistic innovation, and heartfelt connection to Hawaiian culture and natural beauty, offering viewers an inspiring glimpse into the creative process and legacy of a Maui artist committed to preserving and enriching his community’s heritage through art.

1. 1. 1. Highlights

• [03:57] ? Introduction to Kirk Nelson Flood and the Hawaiian cultural roots of his art.
• [06:41] ?￢ﾀﾍ? The Flood family’s artistic legacy: mother Carla, sister Kathy, and wife Andrea.
• [10:55] ? Kirk’s signature “visionary realism” style inspired by atmospheric light and Maui’s landscapes.
• [21:08] ? Vibrant paintings featuring volcanoes, waterfalls, and Hawaiian seascapes.
• [27:00] ??ﾸﾏ Painting techniques: use of large brushes and acrylics for diffused skies and rapid work.
• [33:18] ? Commitment to cultural authenticity through research and interaction with Hawaiian elders.
• [37:26] ? Artistic versatility: portraits of jazz musicians with mixed media and scratchboard techniques.
  • • Key Insights
• [04:41] ? Family Influence Shapes Artistic Path: Kirk’s early immersion in a family of artists provided both encouragement and practical training, illustrating how environment and heritage nurture creative development.
• [10:55] ? Innovative “Visionary Realism” Style: By blending realistic detail with exaggerated color and diffused light, Kirk captures the emotional essence of Maui’s landscapes, offering viewers a sensory experience that transcends pure representation.
• [07:32] ? Synergy Between Fine Art and Decorative Painting: Kirk’s work as a painting contractor specializing in faux finishes enriches his fine art with traditional decorative techniques, demonstrating how different artistic disciplines can inform and elevate one another.
• [13:03] ? Art as Cultural and Environmental Storytelling:Kirk’s paintings not only depict beautiful scenes but also embed Hawaiian cultural symbols and ecological narratives, educating audiences about the islands’ heritage and natural environment.
• [24:44] ??ﾸﾏ The Artistic Process and Tool Adaptation: Kirk’s preference for large brushes and fingers to manipulate paint reflects a tactile, hands-on approach that allows him to achieve the soft, atmospheric effects critical to his style.
• [33:18] ? Role of Artists in Preserving Culture: Through ongoing research and dialogue with Hawaiian elders, Kirk ensures his works honor authentic traditions, underscoring the artist’s responsibility to preserve and transmit cultural legacies.
• [37:26] ? Expanding Artistic Horizons: Kirk’s ventures into underwater fantasy scenes and jazz musician portraits reveal his versatility and willingness to explore diverse subjects and techniques, enriching his creative expression and appeal.

Transcript

00:00

we’re sitting here in your mom’s house um Kirk’s mother is Carla flood many of you know Carla flood has been a very active member of our community here in ki and W Lea and um we really appreciate the opportunity to sit here in your home we’re here because it’s a nice space and because there’s a lot of beautiful art here look behind us watch this here I go we’re going to get closer in a minute but is this a an old piece a new piece it’s fairly recent it’s about 3 or 4

03:57

months old it’s called Flight of the traffic why of the tropican we’re going to get a closeup of it what’s a tropican a tropican is a bird that’s indigenous to Hawaii and you just uh sort of put them on the map if you will so to speak yeah what a beautiful environment you do um Hawaiian tropical scenes you’ve done uh portraits you’ve done all kinds of stuff you’ve been painting a long time pretty long time yeah since I was about six years old oil acrylic what’s your medium uh right now

04:41

I’m primarily working in acrylic but uh I do mix medium and oil painting too you come from a long line of uh artist family I I don’t know how many of you know that Carla flood is a wonderful artist herself right plus you have a true yeah a sister a sister Kathy sister Kathy who I know also an artist and she does murals many of you probably have seen some of Cathy’s murals around like uh the animal center right the malain society uh Kmart Kmart dolphin Plaza yeah wow and others that’s great

05:23

and Kirk stuff I mean I have just come recently to appreciate your work and I am really very taken you know there are lots of artists that I see around and we share you’ve seen many of them but Kirk has a real gentle feeling in his work we’ll be right back we took a break we just had a visit from Carla flood herself who you’ll see here on TV because she is a ton of stories and a lifetime of achievement that I think people on Maui would love to share back to Kirk as you see here I have a very

06:01

happy visitor hi Lonnie she’s joined us here yeah you know Kirk I always wonder when I sit with artists what really got them to start painting in your case I can ask the same thing but you’re in an art family well that’s true uh I started painting and doing art at a very young age and as I learned later it was a way for my mom to keep us busy on rainy days and whatnot and also the fact that she was an artist uh you know was just really a great inspiration so we’ve been at it for

06:41

quite a while uh sublimating our talents into many different areas uh my sister and I Kathy uh both have been painting contractors and artisans for 20 years plus and yet we both uh majored in Fine Art in college and received degrees painting contractors you mean painting a wall painting a ceiling painting a ceiling painting a wall painting the facade of a building wow we’re going to let the phones ring you know yeah the um so you were able to have a career of painting for a living if you will and also Fine Art you do specialty

07:32

painting as well don’t you in that Arena yes yes I do uh I do a lot of Old Masters types of what what is called now faux painting which includes wood graining and marvelizing and faux and Trump Loy and and different types of uh really very early techniques that have been around for centuries and uh being an artist to begin with really helped me to adapt to this somewhat New Field even though it’s really quite an old field and uh the Demand right now for faux painting and decorative Arts is very

08:15

strong and Kathy and I both feel very blessed to be a part of it yeah it’s a blessing and an opportunity I you know I imagine as you’re painting someone’s wall and taking a white wall and turning it into whatever whatever yeah that’s an amazing thing by itself that’s an art form that I I wonder if we ever explored that you guys would find that very interesting you know you look sometimes at a wall and you think wow that was a really expensive thing maybe it was expensive to paint it

08:49

but it’s really those are art pieces fantastic ones too exactly and as we’re learning more about our environment and where we live we find that the ambience of the setting really does a lot for our Outlook it’s a very positive thing be it color or form and art has always been a great inspiration to people you know I I really appreciate that as I’m looking around here I see some of your beautiful pieces and uh I think we’re going to go and explore in a little while I always wonder so from this kind

09:30

of full painting your art did not emerge you were painting before that yes yes but I’ve learned so much from just what is called house painting that I think it has really helped me a lot within my artistic vision and within my techniques and uh I’ll get into that a little bit more later okay um I know you have a beautiful wife Andrea and she’s a painter as well yes and uh you have uh a sister who’s a painter and a mother who’s a painter um you’ve seen so many different things

10:17

in your life how did you come upon the kind of work that you do now I mean you all of you have very different styles and you’ve really I guess your style is changing I just saw in even in your most recent piece you showed me the figure dry but you see have a a real hawaiana style really striking stuff well thank you actually I’ve always been very interested in ethereal atmospheric images and I went to college in Northern California at humble State University and in that environment we would get the

10:55

fog in the morning in the evening and it would re seed and the way the light came through it was very diffused and I still use that type of diffusion uh as an inspiration in my current work in Hawaii because the light here in Hawaii is brighter and yet things are sharp and diffused in all of what we see and that is something that I’m consciously aware of when I work is the light of diffusion and Clarity and sharpness contrast the what I really see is um it feels it doesn’t look like a uh

11:47

photograph but it it gives me a very real very present kind of feeling when I’m with them is it the light is that what I’m sensing I think so because I I don’t consider myself to be a realist and yet some people say that some of my work looks photographic but really if you were to typ cast it I would call it Visionary realism because what I do is uh I’ll somewhat exaggerate my color schemes to create a little more life in the image and yet living here on Maui I’ve had so many people tell me that

12:28

they’ve seen a sunset just like the one I painted and that it’s just unbelievable that almost anything that you can create can be seen at some given point in time here such a magical place for all of you who are seeing this but sitting in New York City or in Los Angeles or San Francisco come on out to Maui we’ll show you a special place here yeah the truth is Stranger Than Fiction that’s right always well why don’t we take a walk around and look at some of you people sure okay and I’m going to take Lonnie

13:03

here and put her on the couch cuz she’s still sleeping having a good spot makes you want to jump in the waterfall of the ocean huh wow pretty inviting Kirk yeah I wish I was there right now what we’re looking at here is a a g clay print of the original the original was quite a bit bigger like 5 by six ft and uh a client in aahu bought the original few months ago this is a a smaller gay print boy it still speaks to you yeah there’s actually two birds in it really the first one you can see

14:17

pretty easily cuz it’s fairly large but the second one is uh there too in the clouds up to the right up to the right oh there he is oh look at that wow this is so beautiful and I notice also when I change the light exposure you get to really see the different portions of the painting yeah boy you really have fun painting I can see yeah this one was fun I really enjoyed creating this scene boy these are the kind of Worlds you really want to live in exactly they look familiar look they look actually like

14:56

many places we know yes yet many places is I mean they have this little extra twist it’s almost like your own world yeah this one actually has an eow needle in it but it’s not eow Valley really yeah is that right right here yeah right there yeah and what I think is interesting also is you have water coming from two sides it’s like a is that what is like a pool of water and the ocean coming exactly wow all the rain comes from the mountains down towards the ocean and collects in this Reservoir this Pond

15:30

right on the Ocean by a beach I want to be there yeah that’s beautiful yeah this is a smaller painting of can’t really tell the Ali looking into the valley and actually there’s a priest on the hill to the right that he’s gazing at where is he up further he’s over to the right a little bit more up you just higher there he is oh yeah wow this is a beautiful one yeah this one is a scene from Whow Maui to Hela wow I keep wanting to zoom in on these pools they feel so inviting yeah well this this one here is

16:28

actually the the ocean it’s like a bay or an inlet and the waterfall meets the ocean right at this point oh there’s the sky right at the top wow so this is on the way to hun yeah halfway there just right outside of the Ki Peninsula you can pull over and swim it’s a beautiful pool look at this we have a treat Carla flood with Kirk Aloha and Welcome to our show aloha aloha thank you for the uh use of your beautiful home for uh shooting today um you’re a beautiful pair you were just telling me you have

17:27

four children and 10 and grandchildren yes sir how can you do that at 21 well it’s easy it’s called step on them before they multiply we look forward to getting together and doing an interview with you sometime soon uh you’ve had a a wonderful career what a blessing to have such wonderful children with such a multitude of talents I am very very lucky we call it the three flood artists and uh we’ve got great great plans uh Kirk’s sister’s husband owns a piece of property in K

18:05

Andi and I’ve moved my easil out of there I’ve been out of here I’ve been trying to get to it for a long time and we think we’re going to set up a kind of interesting we all do the same subject but we all do it in styles of our own of which we have quite a diversity I hear and but we got to do it I hear the phones ringing we’re going to let you get to your work and thank you for taking away the time to be the rest my pleasure helloa see that part of the ceiling that’s Kathy

18:37

flood and there’s Kathy growing over that vent you know I’m walking through the house I see all these beautiful pieces of art are just the two of you uh artists or what about your other you other brothers and sisters yeah well they’re artists too actually are they yeah my younger brother is a a woodworker he’s the captain of a fire department in Santa Rosa but he loves to work with wood and he’s very good with his hands wow and then my other sister is a doctor in uh California outside of Berkeley and

19:13

she’s also a great draftsman draftswoman I should say she can draw very well well we appreciate your uh family tree and this there’s another tree I bet that’s Kathy again and my daughter my oldest daughter Jessica is a ceramic artist in California wow wow we were going to sit down and have a little more conversation but I think Lonnie is a little too comfortable why don’t we go over to your studio sounds good e e you know the richness in the color is so amazing I can find myself going into

21:08

each one so much here yeah the colors in this one are particularly vibrant and uh there’s a lot of energy going on the volcano is actually in an eruption there’s lightning behind it and Rocks coming from the mountain itself as well as a an outrigger sailboat that’s commonly in the sea where do we see your art I mean how can people get to see and enjoy your art KK well if they give us a call at 874 0294 and make an appointment with us they could come over just about any time right to your studio right to the studio

21:56

where we have a a gallery also wow and uh I also have some work featured at Maui G clay oh oh that’s good that’s a good place for them they go there too and and asked for to look at my work yeah but now one more time on your phone number here it’s uh 874 0294 oh I see it now coming on screen great well I think we should go into the studio and see the master at work sounds good okay for I bet our audience would be intrigued to know see that little brush he’s using now check out these brushes they get big

23:45

too oh yeah yeah primarily I like to use big house painting brushes wow uh particularly at the beginning stages of my painting and for diffusing clouds and laying in large areas I don’t use a little brush until the end of the painting just to highlight some of the smaller areas but my most favorite tool are my fingers yeah I’m sure that the learning process of doing art is really an exciting one this is you’ve gotten better and better and better and better and better and you seem more relaxed than

24:44

many artists I see you’re really very comfortable you just go at it yeah it’s almost like second nature but every painting is a challenge and uh every idea a goal but really it’s so therapeutic for me to paint because I don’t I don’t spend all day painting on on my paintings I wish I had the times to do that but uh I really don’t so whenever I do get an opportunity to work in the studio uh it’s really a very special time for me I can kind of Go off into my own own world and

25:30

uh recreate my visualization is that a paintbrush right now yeah this is actually a a paintbrush that has not much hair on it uhhuh but uh for the smaller areas it’s helpful this painting is almost finished so I’m just kind of bringing some of the areas into focus a little bit more adding highlights here and there but before I’m done I’ll stand back a few more times and readjust maybe the sky or some of the composition and the the value of color so that it works for me in what I was

26:14

visualizing so beautiful wow great or you can take any frame along the way yeah but you know I just am amazed when I see an artist pette I think that should be a whole sales area because the pallet that you use to create your work get so beautiful oh and it’s constantly I’m constantly cleaning and starting over so fun yeah I I use Windsor Newton mural paints and uh for me they work great fantastic and they dry extremely fast and that’s one of the reasons why I use these large brushes because in order

27:00

to do a sky scene like this I have to do it very fast otherwise the paint will dry and create a sharp edge that I don’t want I want it diffused mhm so I’ll lay the paint in and I’ll swirl swirl it around and then work back into it later fantastic where with oil you really have the luxury of of creating incredibly subtle effects but then again you have to wait for the dry time where with a painting and acrylic painting you can literally do a whole painting in one day full of detail I

27:35

appreciate you getting some of this work for us to see you know I mean each one there is such power in each one Kirk I am just really impressed and they create such strong emotions and these are good size pieces these aren’t small yeah this is a Makenna at dawn with P Le in the background couple of dolphins swimming what I like to do when I’m working from a particular site is to romanticize it a little bit or create drama with my life so that it becomes a little more interesting and yet at the same time

28:21

like I said before you can actually experience A Moment Like This Here on meui where the colors are as vibrant and dramatic as we see them here in the painting wow not that unusual what a chore what a good chore you have so many large and beautiful paintings and these are all Originals yeah all of these are Originals except for this is G clay of the eow needle oh like the one we saw earlier exactly this is about half the size of the original right but I mean I’m looking here knowing that that’s just the beginning

29:10

you have been very prolific for a very long time beautiful work thank you you know from back you get to experience the macro and now let’s go closer when you get closer wow look at that feels like we’re walking right on the land here yeah there’s a foot path you can take let’s go with you maybe we can walk down the foot path sure go to my favorite view what a great view you know I bet one of the most frequently asked questions is the one that is the most amazing you are a father and a very attentive and loving

30:06

father and yet you find time to spend time in creating this beautiful art what’s your secret well I just Chip Away chip away I guess yeah in other words I might have 10 minutes I’ll put 10 minutes in or maybe on the weekend I’ll spend a couple hours but consistently through the week it’s amazing amazing I I persevere and the paintings get done wow well let’s go back I’m really enjoying you know I think we’re just going to have to see some of them people are going to have to

30:40

come and enjoy your studio that’s all there is to it and get to see more and more where’s this this is this looks like the walkway in keii to go down to the beach near WEA where is this this looks like maybe imagination it’s ination but there are places I’ve been that are very similar and the name of the painting is called Capo there’s a little sign there in the grass that says capoo it’s a private road you can see Footprints somebody’s taken the road right to the beach uh oh

31:18

let me see oh there it is capoo or no capoo where’s this one this looks like a a created Vision it is a created Vision wow it has kind of a a big island feeling but uh There Are Places on Maui that aren’t too dissimilar this one is called contemplation and who is our featured man here it’s an Ali of earlier times gazing at the birds and just the Tranquility of the waterfalls and the whole dynamism of light going on at this time of the day what’s intriguing is that it’s either just a remarkable

32:37

sunset or it’s actually a volcano you know I noticed that in your uh drawings when you have figures that they have such color and Clarity and real certainty how did you um come to understand what these images or you know you’re keeping things things traditional where did you learn about Hawaiian uh garve and tradition well I’ve been doing a lot of research over the years and I’ve had the great opportunity to spend time with Hawaiian elders and hear from them their accounts of the way things were and the way

33:18

things actually should be portrayed as well as uh researching the work of fellow artists like herb Connie on the Big Island right and actually even John who was aboard Captain Cook ship and really terrific but it’s it’s it’s it’s a constant learning process and uh I look forward to learning as much as I possibly can about earlier cultures like this because I think it’s so important to preserve what was once before to keep freshen our minds so that we do not lose the authenticity of what the

33:55

Hawaiian culture was and really is to today well thank you I know that many people uh share those sentiments it’s really terrific to see that you kept things in traditional mode where you really are honoring innocently that’s a sweet Series so all these photos that we’re seeing here are all you you’re all your work yeah tremendous body of work oh please continue this is just one of many portfolios wow this was the first uh underwater painting I ever did actually and I did it in Florida and it’s called

34:31

the Atlanta Suite 1 here we’ve got underwater volcanoes and statues and even an underwater river underwater river that runs down the beach and this is a bed in a garden oh I saw that inside yeah and then this one’s called the sun giving birth to five Earths wow this is a Venus on the Treasure Coast fantastic see so many this is uh the Atlanta Suite with the table of elements underwater prisms architecture from the Renaissance and uh fetus kind of a discussion of the Wonderman of life well you know I am

35:29

just thrilled by the scope of your work and the styles that you have wow there’s some underwater pyramids now how many years ago would you say this work is uh probably five or six years ago okay and this series is called the Atlantis Suite I’ve really enjoyed walking around the studio with you and seeing you paint and looking at your art there’s just such a world that you’ve created and it’s so diverse it has so many different elements I really appreciate you letting us into your world well thank you very

36:11

much Jason it’s been great to have you here and uh feels really good to be able to share this with uh everyone well you know I I sometimes have a special spot in my heart when I do an interview and uh whoever I’m interviewing is someone that I really relate to from the heart it’s really been a pleasure my pleasure too great we’re gonna probably take a cruise around the gallery just one more time because it’s hard to leave these worlds here are really very special um I hope that you’ll give us an

36:47

opportunity to come back and share with you more in the future anytime it’ be great and I hope you’ll let us take a look at Andrea’s work oh she’s looking forward to that too really yeah and your mother yeah and my sister and your sister we could have a whole flood of ideas we have a whole flood that’s right that’s right we appreciate it let’s take a gander around the studio just one more time thanks C you’re welcome Aloha now I can’t help but notice there’s a jazz musician down there

37:26

that’s a whole other world we’re not even going want to explore this show that’s right wow you’ve done a lot of these huh yeah I’ve done probably 70 to 80 portraits of uh primarily Jazz musicians in mixed media oil painting uh pencil renderings paper paintings this particular image is on clayboard and it was done with a razor blade by scratching off a black layer of paint so it’s actually the reverse of a of a pencil drawing where you’re instead of adding you’re actually

38:04

taking away from the surface wow and it’s a portrait of Lou Armstrong [Music] who has time to sleep music art father husband quite a man Kirk Nelson flood see his number there’s his number t