Happy Aloha Friday!

June 16, 2017 in Aloha, Adventure

....just in case you were wondering what 13 years worth of dreadlocks splayed out on a beach towel looks like....

My friend Emsy and I playing in the light at the semi-underground Mermaid Caves on Westside O'ahu. Fun fact, her dreads are actually as long as mine - the only girl I know who twins me!

Before we hit up the Mermaid Caves, Emsy and I did a quickie calf-burner hike up the nearby ridge, Pu'u Heleakula. Then afterwards, Kyveli met us for a swim at Electric Beach. I am so lucky to have such awesome friends to go adventuring with!

I share lots about my life in Hawai'i on my Instagram @caleighbird. Pop on over and have a looksy here!

originally posted: June 16, 2017

3 Reasons NOT to Edit the Dialog in My Vlogs

May 13, 2017 in Adventure, Aloha, Art Vlog, Artist Diary, Inspiration

Welcome to another view from paradise! I took my first solo hike not too long ago and while I was out I filmed a little vlog for you, dear reader, discussing the level of editing I choose to do on my videos and why.

If you've watched any of my vlogs or tutorials thus far, then you've noticed that I pretty must just let my vids roll, rather than breaking up and hyper-editing the dialog sections. Many other vloggers do a lot more editing in that regard than I do, which turns out looking really nice and professional, but daaaaaaang..... it takes a lot of time! Time that I would personally rather be spending at my easel!

That's pretty much reason Numero Uno for my decision to keep the editing to a minimum, but go ahead and check out my short 4 minute vlog to hear the other two reasons as well. If you're a vlogger also, perhaps you'll also agree that there's a reason to my rhyme and be able to decide on the level of editing you want to commit to, too. PLUS the whole time you get to enjoy the great view of Honolulu and the Pacific Ocean from the back of Pauoa Valley. Yay! What a great place to have a lil chat!!

[ Side Note: The pic up top is actually from my Kuli'ou'ou hike, and not the hike from this vlog... but hey, you understand - somehow it's harder to get epic shots of yourself when you're in the middle of the wilderness alone.... go figure ;) ]

originally posted: May 13, 2017

Life! Aaargh!

May 07, 2017 in Adventure, Aloha, Artist Diary

What a week! I have been feeling that old saying, "when it rains, it pours!" These past ten days have been seriously teaching me the art of patience, which, as you can see, I was not exactly in the mood to learn right now ;)

My internet modem crashed Thursday of last week so I spent the weekend trying to figure out the most efficient use of the internet off my phone and at a local coffee shop for all my work all weekend. The new modem didn't arrive until Monday, which, of course, I was busy with the May Day workers' rights rally and my figure drawing session all day. Tuesday I was able to catch up a little bit online, and then Wednesday at noon as soon as I was sitting down to catch up, my computer crashed. Like completely crashed. Like reboot factory-settings type crash.

AWESOME!!

So after spending hours with customer support all afternoon and then having my most wonderful boyfriend, Tim, spend all night figuring out how to wipe clean and reboot my hard drive, I got to wake up Thursday to a 'brand new' computer. Trust me, it sounds way better than it is... blah!

The best part of my week was definitely my Friday morning hike! My friend Kyveli and I conquered the Kuliouou ridge in under four exhilarating hours. It's hard to be too upset at computer stuff when I can distract myself charging up to the top of th… — The best part of my week was definitely my Friday morning hike! My friend Kyveli and I conquered the Kuliouou ridge in under four exhilarating hours. It's hard to be too upset at computer stuff when I can distract myself charging up to the top of the world...

I am now in the process of re-uploading all of my programs, my entire operating system, and all pertinent photos and documents. Long story short, everything always takes twice as much time as one expects, so dear reader, this is the very best I could muster for this weekend's blog post.

Hopefully this offers a little peek into the life of a working artist, and shows that even if things look all nice and shiny form the outside, we all have unfortunate events to deal with and overcome. I'll be spending some extra hours at my desk this week to catch up on my admin work, but all in all, I'm just relieved that the internet is on and I didn't have to drop half a grand on a new computer.

And let this be a reminder to everyone to always, always have a backup hard drive..... or two!

Overlooking Hawai'i Kai on the left and the very end of Waikiki Beach on the far right during the descent. We could see the entire East side of O'ahu during this fantastic hike.

I know not everyone can just pop out and do hikes like these, but what are some other ways you like to unwind and reinvigorate? Leave me a note below!

originally posted: May 27, 2017

Honolulu Biennial Art Exhibit Visit

April 29, 2017 in Adventure, Aloha, Artist Diary, Artist Features, Inspiration

Today's Inspo Saturday features a diverse, multi-venue exhibit showcasing both international and local artists going on right in my backyard called the Honolulu Biennial! Yay! 'Cause if there's anything I love more than visiting an awesome art show, it's not having to travel far to enjoy that awesome art show ;)

The Biennial features mostly conceptual and installation artists from all around the Pacific ring and focuses heavily on the lives and tribulations of indigenous and migrant peoples, as well as a special emphasis on the all-too-real environmental impact man is having in this region. Although I'm being a big goober in front of this incredible art installation by Choi Jeong Hwa (pictured above), it is actually really upsetting to know that these were all loose buoys, ie giant pieces of floating trash, culled from the ocean surrounding the Hawai'ian Islands.

So come on a little tour of some of the highlights I saw from the three venues I visited so far. I'll make another post if I'm able to catch the rest... and if you're here with me on O'ahu, you have 'til May 8th to see it all for yourself!

>>Click any pic for a closer view!

Internationally renowned Japanese Artist, Yayoi Kusama, creates these amazing polka dot environments in galleries all over the world. Have you seen photos of those mirror polka dot/ pumpkin infinity rooms? Yep, that's her. From what I understand, she has been a voluntary patient at a mental health facility for years and something about creating the repetition of the circular patterns helps her deal with her own personal perceived instabilities.

Can you make me out in the pic on the right? I'm holding my guide copy just to be seen! The room, which was all set up with the trappings of a studio apartment, was really wild to be in, plus Tim and I lucked out by being the only ones visiting at a that time too. It's so different being INSIDE an exhibit rather than merely peering in from a roped off walkway. I really love that Kusama's works are all-encompassing experiences rather than voyeuristic.

Artist Chris Ritson is exhibiting his "biogenerative paintings" which are essentially living works that create themselves. Ritson makes simple armature for mushrooms or corallinales (basically ocean fungus) to grow upon and then shares his works as they continue to develop. I mean, how gorgeous is this living mold pictured above?!?

Viewing a collection of photos by Yuki Kihara was especially moving to me since I feel like they relate to the message I have been focusing on within my Bohemian Goddesses series.

This exhibit is a series of images of this very strong and handsome Native subject being harshly judged against traditional Anglo ideals of beauty which strongly harkens back to the horribly unjust and ridiculous practice of phrenology in the 18th and 19th centuries. Although we still have a long way to go in order to bring true equality throughout all of Earth's citizens, I feel like the world is finally starting to wake-up to this short-sighted and emotionally detrimental way of thinking, partially thanks to thought provoking commentaries like this.

A series of four textile robe-like creations created and compiled by artist Marques Hanalei Marzan, which "honors the four major gods of the Hawai'ian pantheon", was one of my favorite pieces. I love the ceremonial way in which he chose to exhibit them, and all the rich fabrics and various accessories really speak to my inner seamstress. Plus, any time I can learn more about the local history or lore is a total bonus for me!

These poignantly terrifying monoprint works by Alexander Lee highlight the detrimental testing of nuclear arms in French Polynesia. One can only imagine the scale of the harm done by these 'small tests.' It can really make one sick to one's stomach thinking about so much unnecessary destruction, both in the practice as well as the execution, and angry that testing of this nature is still going on worldwide.

A series of completely loaded down tiny boats throughout the main lobby turned out to be a very touching installation indeed.

I've always been in love with colorful trash junk because of the overly consumptive, human-nature, quirky personal-portrait type vibe that I feel when viewing mankind's day-to-day detritus.

Alfredo and Isabel Aquilizian created these trash boat sculptures in order to ask viewers, 'if you had to leave the only home you ever knew with very limited packing space - what would be your essentials?' Around the turn of the 19th century, thousands of migrant sugarcane workers boating to the plantations here on Hawai'i from all over the Pacific ring had to ask themselves that very tough question.

I saved the best (or at least, the brightest!) for last. When visiting the main hub of the show, I did not want to leave the pitch black room holding these three glowing chandeliers! They are so deep-sea-life in essence and in eerie-ness, however this exhibit is more a commentary on nuclear power rather than ocean health (even though the two are obviously related). Ken and Julia Yonetani created these uranium rich glass beads and then used them to replace all the original glass on these vintage chandeliers.

The glowing uranium is encased within the glass, but make no mistake - it is a highly dangerous compound, which I imagine would be pretty bad news should any of the little beads break. The chandeliers are meant to highlight each nuclear-powered country and help the viewer to see that although they are twinkly gems of beautiful amazingness and can be useful, what lies beneath is incredibly dangerous.

Hope you enjoyed the show as much as I did!

.... And aren't I quite the lucky girl to have such wonderful people to share these artsy experiences with!

Check out the Honolulu Biennial website [here] for tons more info about the venues, performances, and the artists' important messages. And feel free to leave me a comment if you went to the show, or at least feel like you did after reading my blog ;)

PS. Make sure you take the docent tour at The Hub on Ward Ave. if you can because there is so much more than meets the eye with these exhibits!

originally posted: April 29, 2017

Happy Aloha Friday!

April 14, 2017 in Adventure, Aloha

Hope wherever you are, this Friday is treating you well:)

[These photos were taken last year when my friends and I swam out to a teeny tiny island about 400 yards off the coast of O'ahu called Mokoli'i.]

originally posted: April 14, 2017

Balancing Studio Life and Living Life

March 31, 2017 in Inspiration, Adventure, Art Vlog, Artist Diary, YouTube Videos

Can you believe this is the one of the ridges overlooking my home valley of Palolo!?! I can literally see my house from up here - as well as a nice chunk of eastern O'ahu! (Below is a 28 second panorama of the incredible views which encompass Waikiki all the way to Hawai'i Kai!)

I took a short break from my adventure on the Lanipo Ridge hike to create a vlog all about balancing the right amount of work and play in order to get the most out of every day.

To me, getting the most out of every day is all about being productive as well as being happy. Happiness can encompass connecting with friends, making time for healthy habits, family time, and so much more. It can be easy to feel like one must work all day every day when working from home and for yourself, but creating a work schedule with time off for your 'happy activities' included really does wonders all around.

Personally, I know I get more computer-y business-y type work done when I give myself XX number of hours to work (usually 1-3) and then it's break time or alternate project time, versus forcing myself to stay glued to my computer for 6-8 hours no matter how many times I let myself get distracted. Plus, being with close friends or going on a hike or visiting an art gallery really does wonders for inspiration and refreshment of the soul!

Yep, that little dirt path is the trail!

So have a little listen and enjoy the view, and maybe think about how you can incorporate a bit more joy in your life.... and not at the expense of production, but in order to enhance it!

Feel free to leave me a comment about any tricks or tips you've learned about balancing your business/creative/fun time effectively!

PS For all my $10+ Patreon Members, check out the next post for your two reference photos for the month of April from this ridge hike!

originally posted: March 31, 2017

First Solo Hike!! Jude-Nu'uanu Trail

March 11, 2017 in Adventure, Aloha, Artist Diary, Inspiration

Had an epic day yesterday, doing my very first solo hike here on island! It was a beautiful four hours through the woods going up the side of one of these old volcanic ridges to the very top with amazing views of the island.

Hiking out here can be pretty difficult and almost all hikes have at least some rock scrambling areas with wet rocks or mud or decaying trails or a host of other things that can make the trek a little precarious. So I felt very empowered doing all of those things on my very own yesterday for the first time.

Was sweaty and a bit muddy and grinning from ear to ear by the end of the day:)

originally posted: March 11, 2017

Getting a nice view of the back of our home valley. O'ahu is so incredibly gorgeous.... — Getting a nice view of the back of our home valley. O'ahu is so incredibly gorgeous....

Just Catching Up

February 10, 2017 in Adventure, Aloha, Artist Diary, Inspiration

Hello loyal readers, I know my posts have been slightly sporadic lately but I have good excuses. I have been extremely busy writing a new artist statement for my current series (which I think is my most important collection yet), as well as getting my financial house in order (taxes, yay!), working on a new painting (and demo), and setting up a Patreon page (more on that soon to come!).

Pluuuuuuus.... my wonderful boyfriend, Tim, and I just celebrated our three year anniversary with a little mini hike here on a ridge in our own Palolo Valley. There are so many ancient volcanic ridge hikes all over these islands and I really need to keep my New Year's resolution and hike more of them!

And to top it all off, I am FINALLY learning how to type properly instead of using my own little 'shorthand' keystrokes (don't even ask) so this has taken me f-o-r-e-v-e-r to type.

But don't you worry, loyal supporter, I will have another great artist spotlight for this next Inspo Saturday coming up and am mustering the courage to create my first video diary about an issue that's very important to me.

Have any suggestions on especially great ridge hikes here on O'ahu? Maybe in the intermediate category? (Folks out here are fearless and scramble around some seriously crazy rocks!) Let me know in the comments:)

originally posted: February 10, 2017

Hawai'ian Surfboard Art :: Update

January 21, 2017 in Artist Diary, Studio

Last week for my birthday I was surprised with a gift of three of the mini surfboards with my featured designs from my first art licensing deal! So remarkable to see my artwork in this new format!

They are actually made by hand, if you can believe it (they're so smooth!). The process entails shaping the boards by hand, then printing my images on rice paper and affixing it to the boards while dipping them in a fiberglass type sealant. Last, but not least, a small sculpted fin is attached with adhesive and viola! The most realistic miniboard you could imagine!

Hope there are more opportunities like this in the future! Have you ever had a chance to design something that would be licensed and reproduced? Let me know in the comments:)

originally posted: January 21, 2017

My 33rd Birthday!!

January 10, 2017 in Adventure, Aloha, Artist Diary

Hooray! It's my time of year again - New year, new age, new goals, new me!

I've been asked before what I think about aging or what age I wish I could be, and I always answer that I am happy being the age that I am currently because every year gets better and better. I strongly feel that as long as one is continually growing and advancing and learning, then there is always something to look forward to and therefore aging is a blessing rather than a curse.

I am in the prime health of my life, am in the happiest relationship ever, and am moving forward by leaps and bounds in my artistic career (not to mention currently living in paradise!), and I know the best is still yet to come. Living a personally successful life takes a lot of time and thankless energy, and the returns are slow moving in the beginning, but I have found that having an inherently positive attitude is my greatest ally, which has brought me as far as I have come already, and I know will continue to see me though in the future.

I always try to remember that each day is a brand new day with a brand new set of decisions as to how I want to lead my life....

So bring it on, 33. I am READY!

originally posted: January 10, 2017