Frangipani / Plumeria

I believe this is the "Rainbow" plumeria.  It is really quite lovely, but difficult to try to paint.   

The photo above is of the Singapore Frangipani and is obviously mostly white.   It's soft beauty makes an impact.

Plumeria or Frangipani as they are also known as are found throughout the Hawaiian Islands and just about everywhere you look you find them, mostly as landscaping plants since they aren't found in the wild.   Next time I  post some plumeria photographs I will do more research on them and their history.   They are small trees and some lose their leaves when not in bloom and others do not.   

Hawaii is truly a paradise as it so breathtakingly beautiful and it is a constant inspiration to this artist.  There are many other flowering trees here in this beautiful State that I will share with you on this blog in the future.

Nene - Hawaii's State Bird

The Nene is the state bird of Hawaii.  It is found only in the Hawaiian Islands and is on the endangered list. Most of my photos shown below were taken at the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge on the island of Kaua'i  .  These birds are use to people and so photographing them is relatively easy.   They are closely related to the Brant and Canadian Goose.

Below is a photo I took of "teenage" Nene at the Kilauea National Wildlife Refuge.  I have not been fortunate enough to capture shots of tiny baby Nene  but hope to do that one day.

So far this is the only painting I have done of the Nene, and I plan to do more in the future.   They are rather inspiring birds to try to paint.

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Leeward Coast of Oahu - Sunset Seascapes

"The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, Yea, than the mighty waves of the sea."          Psalm 93:4

All of these photographs were taken on the Leeward or Eastern coast of the island of Oahu, Hawaii.   I have yet to do any paintings from them, but my intention is to paint from these photos very soon.   The photo of the lighthouse was taken at Barber's Point.   

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Stepping Stones

"One of the secrets to life is to make stepping stones out of stumbling blocks." - Jack Penn

The above photographs were taken at the "Grand Canyon of The Pacific" on the Island of Kauai, Hawaii.  It is not as large or as colorful as the Grand Canyon on the USA mainland, but it is still quite impressive just the same.   The day these photos were taken it was rather hazy out as well.  

Sometimes we make "mountains out of molehills" with our personal problems and they seem insurmountable like a great grand canyon with no way out.   We need to be patient and "wait on the Lord"  (Psalm 27:14) because He causes all things to work for our good (Romans 8:28).

Obstacles can be used to our advantage.   "See every difficulty as a challenge, a stepping stone, and never be defeated by anything or anyone."  - Eileen Caddy

With faith, hope, endurance, and perseverance our valleys and mountains of adversities will be like tiny grains of sand.   

"Adversity is the diamond dust Heaven polishes its jewels with."  - Thomas Carlyle

  

Orchids

"If you get simple beauty and naught else, you get about the best thing God invents." - Robert Browning

Orchids are just breathtakingly beautiful and I enjoy them so much.   I have a good "green thumb" except when it comes to orchids; I rarely buy an orchid plant because its fate is doomed in my hands as most of the time they do not survive under my care.   Other plants, especially African Violets, do very well for me.

I have taken more photographs of orchids which I will share soon.   Hope these beauties above help make a  pleasant day for you.   

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Ala Moana Beach Park - Honolulu

"The sun will not rise or set without my notice and thanks."  - Winslow Homer

The above photographs were taken at sunrise at Ala Moana Beach Park in Honolulu .   It is a wonderful family park, although rather crowded later in the day.  My favorite time to visit there is at sunrise.

This clearly shows the marina across from the park looking towards Diamond Head, the famous extinct volcano which is located in Waikiki, about a 10 minute or less drive from Ala Moana Beach Park.   

These photos are rather peaceful, and here is wishing you a peaceful and productive day !

The Path

"All the paths of the Lord are mercy and steadfast love, even truth and faithfulness are they for those who keep His covenant and His testimonies"  Psalm 25:10

This one of many paths located at Foster Botanical Gardens in Honolulu.   Different paths lead to new delights, botanically speaking.   It is rather like life; the paths we choose determine our destiny, which may not always be delightful if we are not wise in our choices.  We could take a path by a Cannonball Tree shown below; it has pretty flowers on it and may appear appealing, but the rather large round "cannons" on it   can really hurt you if you are hit by one as they fall.   When they smash on the ground (or you) they give off a foul odor.    Kinda like bad choices we make.   But we are always given a new day to try our best again; never give up by always looking up for guidance !   Life is too wonderful to spoil in any way.