Today, I found a scrapbook that I started in third grade. It has drawings, illustrations I cut from magazines (mostly from ads), photos from trips (including a memorable stay in California with my older sister, Tobie, and our grampa). The book also serves as portfolio for some pieces I did when I first arrived in Hawaii, a zillion years ago.

But the diamond I discovered was a painting I’d done when I traveled to SE Asia in the 80’s. Below is the piece I did of the Annapurnas in Nepal; the painting says Gangapurna. I remember creating it from a magical village called Manang. It looked more majestic than this, I assure you—those peaks are over 24,000 feet tall.

Kaua’i works

I had never been to Hawaii before I moved there. I flew over about a month after I graduated college in Rhode Island. The colors of the flora and fauna enchanted me.

My friend Bill caught this fish and told me that live ones don’t keep their mouths gaping. I thought it was beautiful but he said it just looked dead.

I took a photo of beloved Anahola Mountain and made a kick ass t-shirt out of it. I’m thinking of doing that again. What do you think?

The photo is all scuffed up because I developed it at the Kaua’i Times darkroom, where I had a crappy part time job.

Of all the Kaua’i work I found today, I like this one the best. It’s the Kaua’i General Store in Kilauea. The signs say: Wildroot, Antiques • Art, Unusual Gifts, Shave Ice, Hot Dogs. I can’t quite make out the sign on the second floor. Does it say Obako? It looks like I included a shout out to my friend Robin too.

These pieces bring back a lot of memories!