Aloha from Hawaii! (part 4)

Having read through our Managing Director’s story about him travelling around America in the 1970’s, it’s only made me realise how much I can fit into my four months in America and Canada.

If you haven't read them already, I'll link to them here:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Why are we writing about this on an art supplies website?

Simply, travelling inspires every person in different ways. When I’ve spoken to various people about previous adventures, it often has creatively inspired them. Whether you decide to travel to the next town closest from your front door, or travel to the other side of the world, you’ll come across things you’ve never seen before.

I had it drummed into me from being young how important it is to see the world. As a creative person, seeing the art scene in other countries excites me beyond belief.

My parents in Australia in the late 90's

First stop - Honolulu, Hawaii.

From the outset, the most obvious and intriguing art I have come across is tribal style tattoo’s. Hawaiian’s (also known as Kama’aina, a long time native of Hawaii) are proud of their island and love to display that all over their bodies.

After much deliberation we decided upon an Airbnb… a Buddhist meditation centre (with apartments upstairs). As anticipated, it’s a very peaceful place to be. The colours are bright but strangely calm. Deep colours cover the walls and Buddha statues sit, grinning and greeting, by each doorway. As I write this, I am drawn to the vibrant flower canvas that is propped and leaning against my bedroom wall. Whether this is a photograph or not, it could easily be a painting. The colours pop and would certainly benefit from being painted with a gouache or thick acrylic paint.

Painting propped in my Airbnb bedroom

We visited the Hawaii Theatre a couple of days ago and the art deco front filled me with ideas for line drawings. Whenever I pick up a fine liner to draw, I always start drawing people or landscapes. The theatre is one of many potential muses in Hawaii. As we headed home, full of jet lag, I could not help but conceive how I might tackle drawing the theatre with one of my Unipin fine liners. The lines all heading one way and up to another, all pointing to the big letters “HAWAII.”

Hawaii Theatre on a cloudy day

Today we headed to the Waikiki area of the island. If you have had an eye on the news this week, you might have seen Hawaii was threatened by the nasty Hurricane Lane. Luckily, we received rain but not a lot else. However, this meant the beach was off limits. Once the rain dissipated, we were excited to head to Waikiki beach. En route, we were greeted by the biggest piece of street art I’d ever seen. A dominating sky scraper had been turned into a canvas: a mural of two whales side by side, swimming elegantly. Straight away I saw it as a future ARTdiscount Instagram post! Unfortunately, I couldn’t snap it in time, but rest assured, I will return! They were painted with an array of blue shades and white was integrated to show off the magnificent whale form. This was the moment I got very excited about art over here…

Looking out at Downtown Honolulu

Have you been anywhere in the world in particular that has creatively inspired you? Just leaving the house can do that for some people, but being in a new location gives you a new perception.

Over the next 4 months I will be spending a couple of weeks in Hawaii, then heading across to LA for a few days before making my way up the West Coast of America. Any tips are very welcome!

Surfboards lined up as you walk onto Waikiki beach

Once I’ve tanned my skin and spotted enough street art to last me a lifetime, I’ll be getting a train from Seattle to Vancouver. The weather is sure to change and so is the art scene. Canada excites me very much, it’s where part of my family are from and it’s where whales are! I can only imagine how many photographs I’ll want to draw up when I arrive home in December.

Strolling around the American streets

So that’s it, ARTdiscount Social Media may change a little for a while. I can only imagine it will get more interesting as I discover more art around Hawaii. Keep your eyes peeled!

For now, I hope you’ve enjoyed our American themed stories and look forward to seeing the street art, galleries, museums and more across America and Canada.

Find me posting on the ARTdiscount Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Mahalo, 

Jessie

Wave mural at the Royal Hawaiian Center

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