Sunday's Shade

A hot afternoon by the ocean in Puako, finding cool refuge in some shade while painting on the porch behind Cheri's house again. Endless inspiration around here for painting...as long as I can find some somewhere to get out of the sun. The wind came in strong after about the second hour... I'm finally getting the hang of painting and holding my easel down with the other hand!
Oils on wood panel, 12" x 16"
copyright Lynn Capell 2014

Ripening Mangos

Looking toward Mauna Kea mountain, (again from my backyard), there was a soft cloud of vog obscuring the distant landscape, bringing into focus the little mango tree to the right. The baby Haydens are just starting to grow plump! Mmm...  I can hardly wait, imagining eating them while I paint this scene. And daydreaming of Gauguin (something about these colors, I suppose ) Enjoy...

Oils on wood panel 9" x 12"
Plein air , Puako , Hawaii,
Copyright Lynn Capell 2014

Banana Palm

In the  early morning I see the first rays of the sun lighting the upper leaves of this huge banana tree in my yard.  Last week I couldn't sleep and so got up early (6 am) to paint it! The bananas are waaaay up there though..I'm still waiting for the yard man to chop 'em down. Enjoy...
Plein air
Oils on wood panel 11" x 16"
copyright Lynn Capell 2014

Gigi's Palm

This was the second of two paintings of this palm...the first I painted on location but when I got it home I felt the colors were "too cool". So rather than fiddle with it to try and make it right, I painted this second version using the first on as my guide. Playing in the paints again, enjoying the "juicy brushwork" that  spontaneity provides!

Copyright L.Capell 2014       Oils on wood panel, 9" x 12" 

Mauna Kea Sunrise

This is the view at 6 a.m. in the morning from my backyard. The sun is just peeking over from the east side of the island, creating a "slice of sunshine" on one side of the mountain, while the other side is still half asleep. I love this time of day, but I must say I am not usually wide awake enough to dive into my paints at such an early hour. It took some planning! Painted on location in Puako.

Copyright L.Capell 2014               Oils on wood panel 9" x 12"

"Beach 69"

Headed down the road in the Puako area seeking shade and found this scene at 69"s. Late afternoon sun and lots of changing colors as it began descending to the sea. I love these old bleached out trees by the water's edge. Wind picked up a bit, coming straight at me so it was a challenge to keep this little guy from flying off the easel!

Oils on wood panel 9" x 12"  copyright Lynn Capell 2014

"My Backyard"

On the weekends I stick close to home, as during the weekdays for the last  couple of months there are workmen renovating the place upstairs. All kinds of hammering and "loud men noises!" So on the weekends I get my sweet peace back, (ahhhhhh...) and look for excuses to hang around my yard. This was painted on my back porch patio, looking toward the neighbors yard. 

"My Backyard" 11" x 14" oils on wood panel 

Copyright 2014 Lynn Capell

Sandy Path in Puako

Ok I confess,,, Started this on the beach (plein air) but it was just too large to get it done that same day without getting fried to a crisp! And you know those cute little green beach chairs sitting in the sand (that I worked on over and over).... well,.. "poof!!"... all this artist has to do is wave my brush and they're gone!! Magic!! (Anyway they were a bit too sentimental for my liking.) I finished this one in my studio 2 days ago. Enjoy!

Oils on wood panel  22" x 30"

Copyright Lynn Capell 2014

Clouds over Kohala

I painted this one the same day as "Cheri's Place", working quickly on the beach cottage porch with my pallette knives (my "trowels"!) to try and capture the lovely afternoon clouds over Hualalai mountain. It was such a spectacular day and the mountain was simply "glowing".
Oils on wood panel 11" x 14"
copyright L.Capell 2014

Hussshhh..

Unusual,  such a windless day. I was painting at the north end of Puako and this was such a still, warm afternoon. Just a gentle "husshh, husshh" of the waves lapping on the shore as the sun was dropping lower in the sky.  Soft colors all around.

Oils on wood panel 12" x 16"

Copyright L.Capell 2014

Seagrape Shade

A friend's place on the makai side of Puako in the shade of a big seagrape tree behind their house. It was wonderful painting beneath luscious shade for 3 hours. Still not sure I did justice to the view, as I was trying to paint very quickly to be done by noon (when the shade would be gone!)


9" x 12"  Oil on wooden panel  /    Copyright Lynn Capell 2014

"Buff's Backyard"

My friend , Buff, lives in down the street in a cozy cottage by the ocean, with his "not too shabby view" of Kohala Mountain across the water. Figuring I'd stick close to home, I set up on on the beach behind his house and began to paint at 9 a.m. Some 2 hours later, holding down my easel with crazy "in my face wind" (causing  tears to flow streaming down my face and my nose was just one big drip!)... it was done. Whew. Time for a nap... (ya got a hammock handy, Buff?)   

9" x 12" Oils on wood panel. Copyright Lynn Capell 2014  

(tickled pink!)

Ohhh.. my  "Daughter of the Sea" won 1st place (President's Choice) in the Hawaii Museum of Contemporary Art Summer Art festival in Hilo.  I didn't make it to the reception, and only now got the good news recently. Wow....I'm honored and thrilled!!

"

WIND!

I may be the daughter of a sailor, but I'm not wild about the wind!! Especially when painting!! Got up this morning with the very vocal birds (ok, screaming Frankolins..call em what they are!)  intending to get an early start on a plein air piece after my walk. 

Started out with  a  nice little bit of wind, no big deal. Set up my easel on the beach in Puako and was painting the always lovely tidepools looking north toward Kohala mountain. Nice.

 An hour later, a little more wind..."ok...keep painting Lynn, it'll die down" I told myself. Another hour... HOWLING winds from the mauka side so that every few minutes I was grabbing my easel AND my palette (and yelling," No!" at the wind gods!) (yes- I've had THAT happen before!) 

Finally called it a day after painting as fast as I could...... Whew, I'm beat!! Enjoy..

16" x 20"  oils on canvas panel

Copyright 2014 Lynn Capell

PANIAU WINTER WAVES

Hot off the 'ole easel, This one was painted with a big palette knife and literally gobs and layers of paint!!  It chose it's own wild path.. as usual I was "but the brush" (and covered in just about as much paint..!)  I am dedicating this year to painting seascapes, and have spent  hours by the ocean to try and record those impressions in my mind  (kinda tough to do a big one like this on location!) Tomorrow I'm back to plein air, .. for now this one is "pau" (and so am I!!) Enjoy!
Oils on wood panel 36" x 48"

Copyright 2014  L.Capell

Duke's Place

A friend of mine rented a small studio on the makai side here in Puako, and this was his backyard! Just love it! So I set up my easel on his back porch and painted this one afternoon. Enjoy!
 copyright Lynn Capell 2014 .

Puako Plein Air

Deidre, I apologize!! After insisting that my student NOT work on her piece once she got home, I did exactly that the next day, "touching up" here and there and then wishing I hadn't!  "Sigh" ...Sometimes you just loose some of the freshness... but overall, a fun, hardworking day last Thursday at the beach!!

Waipio Valley Woodblock Print

I started this one last summer; at first it included a fisherman throwing a net. It began as a scene I photographed a year ago while in Waipio Valley. Struggled for a while with the fisherman... started out big, then slimmed him down....finally took him out all-together! (the print breathed a "sigh" of relief!)  Printed in watercolor paints with 4 carved blocks. Enjoy!
Copyright lcapell 2014

"Hau`oli Lā Hānau"

Happy birthday to me! And what a spectacular day! On Thursday I went down to the end of the street in Puako to paint by the ocean with my friend Mary, and I just could not get over how stunning the day was! The breaking waves were glowing, the sun was shining down and as people walked by our easels they often stopped to chat. And while we were painting the seascape there were humpback whales  offshore flinging themselves skyward in tremendous breeches, or tail lobbing with loud "thwacks!!" every so often.  Too beautiful for words.. or paint...

I am grateful.

"Lavender Quilt"

Just finished this puppy... It's a "redo"... it's a painting I did last year, but it just "wasn't right" yet.... I sanded it way down (scary but fun!) then painted a toned wash over the whole image so you just saw a "ghost" image, kind of "orangey".  Then, basically started over!!

 Changed the  colors, elongated the figure, and highlighted some of the sun burnished areas, faded out others,... Ta da! Now she's happy!!  (yes it is Natalia, my lovely and amazing daughter)
"Lavender Quilt"
Oils on Wood 48" x 60"
copyright Lynn Capell 2014

"Daughter of the Sea"

Sonnet XXXIV (You are the daughter of the sea)

"You are the daughter of the sea, oregano's first cousin.
Swimmer, your body is pure as the water;
cook, your blood is quick as the soil.
Everything you do is full of flowers, rich with the earth.

Your eyes go out toward the water, and the waves rise;
your hands go out to the earth and the seeds swell;
you know the deep essence of water and the earth,
conjoined in you like a formula for clay

Naiad: cut your body into turquoise pieces,
they will bloom resurrected in the kitchen.
This is how you become everything that lives.

And so at last, you sleep, in the circle of my arms
that push back the shadows so that you can rest--vegetables, seaweed, herbs: the foam of your dreams."

By Pablo Neruda

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My newest piece, finished this week. Painted in acrylics on a large copper panel framed in wood and glazed with epoxy resin 

Mahalos to  Pablo Neruda... and the sea.

Dimensions: 28" x 79" 

Copyright  L.Capell 2013  

image may not be used without permission of the artist .

Indian Springs Buddha Garden, Calistoga

This first image I painted in oils on a canvas panel on location at Indian Springs Resort, in the early morning hours, I was delighted  by the glimpses of orange hammocks as the sun rose above the hills in the background. In the second one I worked from a photo I took on location that same morning, working larger in oils on a wood panel.

Calistoga Summertime...

Calistoga Paintings!

a sandy stroll at dawn...

Getting used to heaven....

 Sea grapes barely rustle in the wind, and the ocean slaps lazily at the tidal pools worn into the lava shore.  Could I love this wild Hawaiian land more every day...  yes, indeed I do.

I painted this inspired by a small plein air piece I did on site last month, then "winged it" and painted from memory. It's 4' x 4'...ahhh.. it feels great to be workin large again!!

a sandy stroll...
4' x4'
Copyright Lynn Capell 2013

Donkey Mill Day

Here's one I painted last month on the grounds of the Donkey Mill. It was way too windy to head to the ocean (my favorite) , so I had my class paint up mauka.  I liked the upended wheelbarrow in the garden, with the sun just hitting a few of the leaves...

Plein air
Oils on canvas panel
8" x 16"
Copyright L.Capell 2013

O What a Day!!

Soo... you see that nice blue sky and delicate bit of purple horizon...and ahhh ..those golden clouds? Well THAT's how things looked when I arrived at my painting location today, just north of the Honokohau Harbor. Warm and pretty, a gentle breeze..calm waters. Ha!!  It all quickly changed to howling winds ( ok REALLY strong winds!) , grey, grey skies and COLD (yes, cold!!) Yipes! I ended up holding my easel down with one hand while painting with the other, but still my painting blew off twice and I was working as fast as I could  to finish the darn thing. Two hours later the day looked nothing like it had in the morning. One couple walked by (bundled up in sweaters) and said, "gee, how can you paint in this wind?"  (sigh...maybe I better notice those clouds more carefully next time!)

Memories...

There's that thing about boats...the clanking of the halyards on the masts, the salty feel in the air,

the blues and greens and whites... takes me back to  being around the harbors growing up in Florida. Familiar sounds and smells and I'm a kid again, looking at the different boats and wondering where they're going, walking along the piers and looking for my  Dad.

"Plein air"
painted at Honokohau Harbor

Oils on canvas panel 8"x 16"

copyright L. Capell

Honokohau Harbor

Morning sun, swaying masts, lazy talk between boating friends...this was our background as my painting student and I worked some magic at the Harbor yesterday. As paddlers glided by, we quietly painted on till one BIG boat parked right in front of us and blocked our scenery! Aieee!! But still, I had worked just enough to capture this...

enjoy!

Plein Air
3/ 13/ 2013
Oils on canvas Panel
8" x 16"
copyright 2013 L. Capell

Pu'uhonua o Honaunau

"PLACE OF REFUGE" #10

PLACE OF REFUGE  #11

 I love the name of this place... I love the rustling palms that surround and hold me in their soft shadowy embrace...I love the massive stone walls that quietly hold a thousand more stories in their cool stillness, and the tidal  pools in black lava where the ocean comes to rest.  I love it's gentleness... its wildness...its forgiveness. I  look toward the blue mauka mountain haze. I lay my palm against stone... listening, feeling for a Hawaiian heartbeat generations old.

Both paintings were done on location, in oils, in "plein air".

"Wet Paint" for Wednesday!

"Red Pick-up"

Aloha Painters! Tomorrow's Plein Air class will be happening at the Place of Refuge picnic area. It's a wonderfully soothing spot with lots of luscious tropical views in every direction. We'll begin at 9 am, look for 'Ole Blue (my baby blue pick up). If you haven't been to the picnic area, go into the park (there may be a $5. fee) then head catty-corner through the parking lot to the gravel road, and keep driving. 

$30. drop -in fee, (a deal with your Donkey Mill Registration!). All levels welcome!

See you there!

"KAINALU"

 Woo Hooo...Finally!!
Weeks, months, years! of work (well, not really "years", tho sometimes it felt like  it ...)  for this small woodblock print. Lotsa carving, lotsa cranking (by hand) over and over through the press for the different colors.

 Here's the final result, I was able to make about a dozen prints from the 4 carved woodblocks and a drypoint (scratched onto plexiglass, then inked) for the fine lines.

Inspired by the Spotted Eagle Ray,"Kainalu", who lives in the sea water "pond" where I work at Four Seasons Resort,... here's hoping I did justice to his graceful beauty.

You can check out the carving process below... just click on the images...

The block for printing the ray and the fish.
The background was all carved away leaving the ray
and the fish as raised ares to be inked and printed.

The fish shadows block. 
All the rest has been carved away,leaving just
the shadows of the fish raised up to be inked.

The background block.
The ray and the fish and the water swirls were carved out,
leaving only the raised background to be inked and printed.

The block for the light swirls in the water.
The rest of the block has been carved away,
 leaving jus tthe swirls as a raised area. 

Calmin' down...

Painted this one a month ago... heading into Pine Trees (but before the "gnarly bump"!) and standing in the skinny shade of a kiawe tree.

Mornin...

Held my plein air class this morning down by the keiki beach on the north side of Honokohau Harbor. It was warm and sunny with  Hualalai Mountain's purple haze in the distance. A cute dog was "greeting"  everyone walking by while the song of a conch shell beneath the palms signaled a couple renewing their vow of 20 years. The sound of their laughter making ME laugh!
This is the painting I did... 8" x 10 " oils.

Ants in my paints...

  Started out just fine... Ole Blue (my Mazda pick-up) took the winding bumping sandy road with  the really (really) gnarly pitted turn into Pine Trees where I found a serene spot beneath a Heliotrope tree. Set up my easel, ...sweet crashing waves (music to my ears!),... cool breeze on my face, a lone surfer in the sea... I set out my paints and "dove in" to work. Mmmm...heaven! I was lovin it.

  I was about an hour into my painting when another car arrived that parked about 20 feet away.  Out came a partying beer drinking couple, their two huge and very curious dogs and a LOUD tinny sounding radio !! Now theres MILES of deserted beaches around, but noooo... I am at their musical mercy, and boy it was real tough staying in my mellow mood. 

Next (yes, next!) came an enormous truck, and now he drove past all of us to the TOP of the lava at the water's edge (almost into the ocean), flung open the doors and out spill all generations of folks ready for a fun day at the beach. 

"sigh"... I took a deep breath, and kept on painting. (My kingdom for some earplugs!) 

  And then... the drive home. After discovering my purse and my paints were filled with tiny ants from setting them on a tree stump, I dumped the little buggers and nudged the almost stuck truck out of the soft sand and headed south to the road out I remembered from years ago. Only now that road was closed for paving, and the "old" old road which has not seen a car in recent years was the only one left to choose. I got about 3/4 mile till I came to a big rocky pit. And after that stood a crumbly hill of sharp and jagged broken lava. Yet another "sigh". (No, actually it was more of an "arrrggghh!".)  Ole Blue is no 4x4  and she wanted to turn around, but there was no space wide enough. So, backing up a good quarter mile , dodging some tar patches and potholes, and listing into others, I finally got her turned around, nose pointed back to the beach.  Back to brave the gnarly pitted turn (which truly looked waaaay worse going back out)  and finally "whew".. we made it back to solid road. What a good lil' truck- I promised her a car wash!

   Anyway here's the painting!  Such memories are made of this...

  

Soon Come... my first "Hale Kai" Open Studio!

 In April I moved my art into this wonderful garden studio, painted  the floor deep blue (cause all I was missing was the ocean!) and "ta da!" - now I cannot wait  to show some of my newest paintings!  The opening is set for Tuesday May 29, from 4 to 7pm.  

Included are my newest luscious landscape "lava/sea" palette knife series (lots of juicy paint)  and my latest Tango dancers series. (Now there's a variety!)  Might even just put out that latest woodblock print of Natalia.... oh and those watercolors of the Place of Refuge... and hmmm..what about those contemporary pieces I did using Drywall compound... oh and maybe some wine and yummy chesse...

(hey, now it's sounding like fun!) 

Blacks 'n Blues

  Yet another fine day...especially when it involves painting! Once again my favorite spot  on the Kona side (it's a secret...shhhhh..) though I spent hours (really!) trying to escape the drizzle and set up long enough to paint. Soon as I would unfold the easel legs the first darn drops would hit! Ah well... rain IS always a blessing here in the islands. Mahalo nui loa, 'cause I  truly am blessed.

9" x 12". Big fat layers of paint with the pallete knife. No brush. Big mess!! (and crazy fun) Enjoy!

Aloha, Lynn

Woohoo whatta day! Up bright and early to meet with my painting students at Manini Beach, where it was just deliciously beautiful! Sparkling blue- green ocean, hazy purplish tint to the cliffs of Kealakekua Bay and a baby blue sky. We painted our hearts out trying to quickly capture those lava rocks, breaking waves and cliffside silhouettes,  then donned fins and masks and rewarded ourselves with a dip in those deep blues. Darlin, It just doesn't get better than this.

Aloha, Lynn
Ps: painting images "soon come"!

Back to Basics...the nude.

What is more inspiring...( other than the sea?)

I sketched this one a few years back, and recently added paint. 

PS: I'm planning some Life Drawing and Painting Classes for Women

I'll keep you posted... (and may be in need of models...)

Aloha, Lynn

Painting Away in Paradise...

This is  one of my favorite spots here on the Big Island. I 'm always happy painting by the sea and my lil truck ('ole "Dusty") seems to point toward the coast if I give her free rein.  So I took my kit to a small beach by the edge of the lava and painted contentedly for hours in the shade of a scrawny coconut tree. 

Afterwords- my reward!- relaxing in the cool tidal pools. Luscious!

This is my newest (and 'tres exciting!)  way of painting, all done with a palette knife. Very messy too, I might add, or hmmm...perhaps it it just me?  I can only hope I wear the colors well!

Aloha, Lynn

Back in Kona!  

You can take the girl outa Kona, but you can't take Kona outa the girl...

Missed my sunshine and wasn't real thrilled about winter's  howling winds and rain on the northern tip of our fair isle (and molding paintings - yipes!)  So... I moved back.  Now I call "home" a cute bamboo hale with a beautiful of view of the coast.  Ahhhh... now this is Hawaii...

Here's a new one I finished up last month, inspired by my own "lil darlin"...  enjoy...

"DREAMING IN COLOR"  15" X 56" oils on wood panel

KEEI BEACH

   I have a love affair for boats. Something speaks to me in the gentle curve of their sloping sides, their kinship to the sea (especially smaller wooden kayaks and canoes), shaped by hand with love and memory.

  So no wonder I was drawn to paint this plein air scene (on location) at Keei Beach in south Kona. The warm sun, the dappled shade, the boat resting softly on the beach before another voyage out,...always  feels pretty soothing to me.

It is painted in oils on an 8" x 16"  canvas panel  Enjoy.

Aloha, Lynn