Heliconia: Ala i ka Lani
Mahalo nui loa (thank you very much) for helping to title the heliconia painting on the left:
Ala i ka Lani is Hawaiian for Pathway to Heaven.
Several of you mentioned heaven, reaching upwards, toward the sun, or growing to heaven as potential titles. Two mentioned a spiraling energy, similar to the double helix of our DNA. Shannon of Hui Pilimau Networking provided the title that feels "just right".
Now you can find it here.
Nobody Likes to be Told What to Do We want to feel in control of our own life and destiny. Witness a two-year-old having a "moment" in a grocery store and you will realize how strong our sense of self and the urge for self-determination really is. This is one of the reasons working with watercolor is both challenging and rewarding. When we begin, we sometimes feel "all thumbs". Learning to control the brush, the water, the paper, the paint, and the color is a lot to learn all at once - especially for an adult who is used to being proficient at most of life's tasks. "If it's not one thing it's another." ~Rosanne Rosannadanna (Gilda Radner's character on Saturday Night Live). With practice, we get the hang of things. That is when we are faced with new challenges: composition, deciding what to paint next, and learning to let go of results. When we first begin to paint with watercolor, we try to control the flow. As we continue to paint, we learn to respect the flow and even strive to encourage it. We lose our desire for absolute control while we reach for the feeling of freedom that watercolor expresses so well. Is it possible the medium is beginning to teach us how to ease up on the control we seek in all areas of our life? If you have been drawn to painting with watercolor, you have been given the opportunity to use it as a spiritual practice similar to that of meditation. Painting watercolor requires discipline, regular practice, the ability to let go, and the willingness to allow the paint to flow. As you watch the process, the paint, and the paper, you become the witness. You learn by doing, by watching, and by letting go. We seek freedom of expression and freedom from the need to control all parts of the painting, and perhaps of our world. Control can be a good thing. Yet as we continue to grow in our ability to control, we risk the loss of magic and surprise ... the very spice of life.
Look closely to see if you can find the 19 small fish keeping the turtle company. Then you will know why the title is Honu and Friends.
Mark your calendars with the following dates for our "Hide-N-Seek" Watercolor Workshops at Waioli Tea Room in Manoa Valley:
February 18, March 17, April 21, 2012
9:30-3:30 * $125.00
Includes personal instruction, continental breakfast, lunch, and FUN!
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Yippee! FREE SHIPPING NOVEMBER is here!
During the month of November, ALL orders placed through www.artofaloha.com Ship for FREE as my Thanksgiving Gift to YOU.
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Holiday Art Fair Schedule
Hickam Air Force Base: Saturday, November 19th Mission Houses Museum, Honolulu: Saturday, November 26th Lanikai Art Fair: Saturday, December 2nd **********
Mahalo for taking the time to read this Art of Aloha eZine. If you have a moment, I hope you will share it with a friend either by forwarding it, or by clicking on the Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn buttons at the top.
A Hui Hou,
PS You can find my official page on facebook fan page HERE.
Become my online fan by pressing the Like button. "A painting requires a little mystery, some vagueness, some fantasy. When you always make your meaning perfectly plain
you end up boring people." ~Edgar Degas **********
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Born in Port Washington, WI and educated at the University of Wisconsin/Madison, Patrice Federspiel first visited Hawai'i in January 2000. Within five months she had found a way to quit her job, sell her home, and move to Hawai'i to paint. 
Patrice Federspiel