Kilauea, Perhaps the World's Most Active Volcano

All of the paintings below were inspired by a visit to Lava Tree State Monument, Pahoa, Hawaii.

My intension in doing these paintings was to show honor to the Monument as well as the power of nature, the active Volcano Kilauea and Pele, the goddess of fire who does indeed watch over the land.

Pele is a goddess of fire, lightning, dance, volcanoes and violence, a daughter of Haumea and Kane Milohai. She lives on Kīlauea.

Check out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pele_(mythology)
to learn more about Pele in Hawaiian mythology.

It is an awesome thought to realize that one lives not far from an active volcano!

Kilauea is Perhaps the World's Most Active Volcano (for more info click the link at the top of the page).

Going through Lava Tree Monument is almost holy as I have written before. The forest of lava trees almost seem human and ghost like. Amazing. For this reason I used titles like "Respect' and "Honor" because that is how I felt upon seeing the wonder of the park and its statues.




"Path To Pele"
40x30 oil on canvas, completed 3/07
Solid Koa Frame




"Respect"
40x30x2 gallery wrap, oil on canvas, completed 3/07




"Honor"
48x36x2 gallery wrap, oil on canvas, completed 3/07




"Giant Ferns of Lava Tree Park"
48x36x2 gallery wrap, oil on canvas, completed 3/07





"ke ala o Pele"
48x36x2 gallery wrap, oil on canvas, completed 3/07

"ke ala o Pele"

About the opening:

The dedication of my One Woman Show, "ke ala o Pele" was written on my show information handout:

"I would like to dedicate this body of work to my husband Dennis Magnusen,
Dr. Douglas Hiller, Anne Carlson, Rehab of the Pacific, Shan and Mailin Moy and Carrie Johnson.

On the back of the handout was my poem about my process of healing and what I learned about myself in that adventure of the soul.

"I Stood Inside A Rainbow"

I stumbled to find myself
wanting to be lifted
and yet
I fell to smell the earth.

I stayed there for hours
me in brown beginnings
researching the treasure
that before
I had only walked upon.

I pointed my finger
into a tiny hole.
I hoped I might discover
one thing different
I had not known before.

Alas I found myself mesmerized
as an ant climbed from its cave.
One ant, one tiny ant
a delicate treasure, and
a focus in my day.

He became like none other
I had ever seen before
because
I chose to lean my attention
sit in pause
and hear life, and its
unmistakable roar.

A reflection in a pond
beyond the ants tiny hole
I leaned to meet the journey.
Who knew a lake would open
by the magic of my own smile.

I found myself host
to a thousand tiny angels
and an afternoon of solace.
I toasted all the Universe
and from roses
I sniffed a glistening vapor of hope.

I knew thirst to touch the dew on roses
and treasure all they had to say
found comfort in their voices
as the sun met their moisture
of an ever so brilliant day.

I stood inside a rainbow
Its colors met my skin.
Stepping then outside myself
decoding past objections
I accepted miracles were calling
and stood back to watch them grow.

by Kathy Ostman-Magnusen




For the opening I was blessed to have Codie King, the director of Wailoa Center help me in a zillion ways. Codie took special efforts in preparing my hand outs, hung the art on the walls with a wonderful volunteer. Her son helped before the opening in setting up tables for cookies, I made my famous chocolate chip cookies of course, and punch.

Thank you dear Codie King, volunteers and friends.


Dr. Hiller came with his mother, Anne Carlson came with her husband, Shan and Mailin Moy came and of course my dear husband Dennis was there. Such dear and sweet people in my life. Carrie Johnson lives on Kauai and could not make it but I felt her love.


There was and is a quilting show going on at the same time which is upstairs. Lovely ladies who made beautiful quilts with their hearts and hands. I thought of them that evening of hours they must have spent together making their wares. So dear.

I met some lovely people during the opeing and it was a very blessed time.

I am thankful to my friends and for all those rainbows known thus far and the ones yet to come.

I will post the final paintings throughout today and tomorrow along with my thoughts about each one.

A hui hou,

Kathy

Fantasy Art Women | Stealing Saturn

"Orange Star Bromilead" 18x24 oil on canvas
I did 6- 18x24 flowers and orchid paintings at the last.... this is one.



"ke ala o Pele"
48x36x2 gallery wrap, oil on canvas

Taken at Lava Tree Monument.

OK... I will post more tomorrow, I am off to pack up my van to set up for Friday's opening... YAY

Check out the link at the top titled Fantasy Art Women | Stealing Saturn, to see how I stole Saturn! purchase of my art can be done there also. YAY

Earth Goddess Art | Bed of Dreams Site

Earth Goddess Art | Bed of Dreams, the above link is from my main website.. check it out to see my new E-cards, purchase my art in cards, posters and giclees as well.


40x30 oil on canvas, done and waiting to be named. Hummm I will do it tomorrow.

Click the image to see it larger.

I hang the show tomorrow so took pics tonight. I also painted 6 other works in the last few days of flowers, mostly orhids. Big Island is the Orchid Isle.

OK.. tomorrow and the days following I will be posting the completed paintings.

YAY!

"I Have Come To Know The Rain"

My Unicorn, My Legend of Pegasus and Dolphins That Fly...

The painting:


"I Have Come To Know the Rain" 40x30 oil on canvas
Kathy Ostman-Magnusen


and the poem:


"I Have Come To Know the Rain"


My unicorn, my legend of pegasus
I climb on your back
my hands reach for your mane
the voyage is set.

I bring flowers
and fairies for comfort
for when my dream feels cold.

I've come to know the rain.
It is not enough to know that I am cleansed by it.
I want to see its breath
hold its message in my hand
lest I fall on other journeys.

I suspect you keep secrets
your words have become mere noise.
I don't believe your magic
just because you scream it.

All the children that I remember visit me.
No matter they are grown
I hear them playing.
Outside there are tokens
still
sunny days to play in.
I miss their laughter.

There are interruptions everywhere
they want to be understood.
I thought they would lie down
give up
but no.
They seem to be weary
but still measuring.

I am inclined to bargain against consequences.
I hold my own image up to the light
I am not as transparent as I thought.
I feel a huge relief
and yet
I am not sure of which foot to start with next.

I will maneuver my aim
invade my own existence
initiate a standard
for taking no prisoners.
I can feel myself still standing
with somber resolve
proclaiming victory over self
but never being clear on the final outcome
none the less.

I saw dolphins fly last night
twas an unusual sight to see.
It seems they had been called upon
to gather tokens from the oceans floor
gather up the magic of a mermaids charm.

'My' mermaids I ask?
Have they left my dream?

It is raining
and yet there are a few birds singing
I sit back
sip tea
and listen for them.
They sing the only words that I can count on.

It is not enough to understand consequences
the moon tells me this is so.
I fold up all prerequisites
put them in a closet
cover them with flowers I have met
and wait
for the shelter of rainy days.

by Kathy Ostman-Magnusen
20 March 2007

note: the title at the top, "I Have Come To Know The Rain", when clicked will bring you to my profile on My Space. The poem above along with the image is also posted on my blog there. Smile.

Update

I have finished all but one painting which I think I will complete today. I will then put each of the paintings back on the easel and give them whatever life I see that has been missed.

My feeling about the painting above which is shown in part is that her eyes are too deeply set. I am not sure yet though, I will have to study it some more. This will be the first painting I put back on the easel because of that.

I will try to take more pics over the weekend. Wow... I am getting very close to the show! Yay!

I talked to Cody King, the director of Wailoa Center yesterday about the cards and stuff. She got a new puppy! Smile! ... HUGE SMILE! Nothing cuter than a puppy or kitten.

I ordered the invitations yesterday through www.printrunner.com and worked with Colleen. My webmaster, business partner and brilliant buddy Carrie Johnson of Andarta Designs, told me she has used them and she loves the company. Actually I think that is the company we used for my "Bed of Dreams" promotional cards. The price was certainly right! Wow, after doing some compare shopping this is the place to go.

I had intended on trying to do some sculpture to add to this show. I am not sure that is going to be possible. I still have some time though. If I don't do that I am going to paint some smaller paintings, maybe 18x24 of orchids.. we'll see.

Today I added some info about my friend Terri Lloyd who is doing part of a show called, PROPAGANDA III: WORLD TOUR 2007. Terri is a great email buddy and I try to support her efforts whenever I can. She does the same for me... Thanks Terri!

OK... a hui hou for today.

ke ala o Pele

OM Gosh!!

As we double checked on the name Ala o Pele... asking those who know the Hawaiian language we found out it is not that but is:

ke ala o Pele

OK... onward right. Painting. Will try to get more pics tonight!

Blessings

Kathy Ostman-Magnusen's free art gifts

I will be working on this painting today. I have another painting that I have not shown as yet. Hopefuly new photos will be taken today updating my progress on several of the paintings.

I have also decided to TRY to paint several small paintings of flowers for the show. We will see how it goes. I may be biting off more than I can chew esp. if I hope to do at least one sculpture.

Yesterday marked the end of my Physical Therapy scholarship. I thank them all so much!
I will continue to work on getting full use of my hand back on my own now. I made huge progress considering I could not even hold a pencil or a fork last April.

www.kathysart.com FREE ART GIFTS

OK... moving along here. I will post progress on the backgrounds tomorrow.

Are we having fun yet? Yes.

www.kathysart.com FREE ART GIFTS

As I drove to physical therapy today I thought about my paintings and how far I had come from last April. I thought about the people who have helped me on my way... wow. Where would I be without those people.

As I have said I fell down a flight of stairs last April and have been trying to get full use of my hand back ever since. I have what is called Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy. UG!

I am so thankful to Dr. Hiller and his staff who took me on, monitored me and encouraged me because I am an artist and Dr. Hiller has a soft spot in his heart for them. Such a kind and dear man.

Anne Carlson and the people at Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific. They have worked with me and helped me every step of the way when I was sure I couldn't do it. I am getting closer to my goal of recovery because of them.

Carrie Johnson... oh my gosh she is my savior on so many levels. She does my website and anything else I need for my art. More than that though she is a level head. When I write emails to her feeling like I am scattered and insecure she comes back with logical thinking and even describes pathways for me. She is my acting buddy, my soundboard and my partner in business. She is an amazing woman and I adore her.

Ahh my dear, dear friends Shan and Mailin, who came to visit me and remained friends even when I would not come out of my bedroom. I was so sure that I would not paint again. I love them for calling me and loving me anyway... wow. I love them for taking me to the Volcano Artist Studio Tour, I felt back into the art world somehow.
I needed to come out of my house. After 6 months I finally did. I cannot describe the dark hole only that I was in one.

Most of all though I thank my husband Dennis, my soul mate, my high school sweetheart and love of my life. He is in fact the most unselfish person I have ever met. He went through a lot with me, tears and fits of rage. He took care of me in body and soul. He has ALWAYS believed in me and the reasons I paint. He nags me when I need to be and strokes me when I am crazy... which perhaps it a lot! He has sacrificed so much for this life of an artist.

I thank Cody King at Wailoa Center for the show coming up... wow! A reason to paint with vigor.

Thank you Bob Hogge at Monkdogz Urban Art in New York. He called me at my sisters house in Nevada to see how I was after my fall. My show came up in New York just weeks after. He has also set up a show for me this April. Thank you Bob Hogge and Marina Hadley his business partner.

NO ONE stands alone right? We all at one time or another rely on the propping up of people who come across our pathway.

Blessings and Aloha for today. Kathy

www.kathysart.com for purchases

The portrait above is of "Jackie Hashimoto" It was a 18x24 oil on canvas. Giclees, posters, cards are available upon request. The original belongs to Jackie's daughters.

The reason I insert this painting here is to compare emotions.

Jackie Hasimoto had passed. I never met him. Before I started to paint him I asked his wife for more images and stories about him. I wanted to know who he was before I tried to understand how I would paint him.

At Jackie Hashimoto's funeral his family parked his truck as it had always been. It was filled with things to help people out if he drove by and saw someone in need. A throw net and fishing equipment was also inside. Jackie Hashimoto was a fisherman.

I painted the above piece in two sessions. I cried the whole time. I had felt a connection to him that was very dear. He was a kind man. In the end isn't that what we hope people will be able to say about us, that we were kind?

The connection I hope to make in this new series "Ala o Pele" is to the land and its own mind. Lava Tree Park shows the wrath of Pele, and yet the forming of new land. The Big Island is the newest island, Kauai being the oldest. The Big Island is still a work in progress, forming and having its own say on how it will develop. So amazing isn't it?

I asked my model to stand in awe before the statues of lava that Pele had left behind. The lava formations almost come to life there and I wanted to capture that. Dennis caught the moment for me on camera. I will then take those images and bring them to canvas hoping to bring the connection together and breath life into them.

I have in the past described myself as a figurative artist. I do paint that but more importantly I paint emotions. I hope to connect with this series as I did with my painting of Jackie Hashimoto. I find myself breathing out recognitions of a world I am trying to understand. It is a holy experience as I have said before.

Kathy Ostman-Magnusen|www.kathysart.com

"Ala o Pele"

Photographer: Dennis G Magnusen

I work quickly so some images might be a tad blurred from time to time. I share the artist's frenzy. This one is pretty clear though.

The music is blasting... hope the neighbors will still like me when this series is done! Ha ha!

Setting Up the Canvas'

Hawaiian art in honor of Merry Monarch Festival.
Photographer: Dennis G Magnusen

I have blocked out 9 canvases. I am using photos taken by Dennis G Magnusen of my models. Two are 38x48 and the rest are 30x40. Some are gallery wrap so the sides are 2 inches and the paintings will extend over onto the sides. The others will be framed in solid koa. I am planning one more to add to this collection along with 3 others that are already painted using another model.

I usually block out paintings with lavender or purple. I just like it.

I will show the 10 paintings mapped out along with me painting them over the next couple of weeks and then move on to my progress with the backgrounds.

Kathy Ostman-Magnusen|www.kathysart.com

Day one of my postings. I look forward to sharing my progress.


-------------------------
Upcoming shows:
-------------------------

One Woman Show:

"Ala o Pele"

In Honor of Merry Monarch Festival

Wailoa Center
April 6 thru April 27, 2007
Reception for the artist
April 6, 5-7pm

Address:

200 Piopio Street
P.O. Box 936
Wailoa State Park
Hilo, Hawaii 96720

------------------

"Damz"
Seven Women Artists From Around the World

Monkdogz Urban Art Gallery
April 26 thru June 2, 2007

Address:

547 West 27th Street
New York, NY 10001

------------------
Ongoing:

Aloha Outpost
The New Pahoa Marketplace
Pahoa, Hawaii 96778

Makana Lani
116 Kamehameha Ave.
Hilo, Hawaii 96720

Wailoa Center
Cody Kings Office
200 Piopio Street
P.O. Box 936
Wailoa State Park
Hilo, Hawaii 96720




------------------------------------------



Kathy Ostman-Magnusen
Free Gifts:
http://www.kathysart.com/
kathy@kathysart.com