Most of us don’t grow up to become a ballerina, an astronaut, or a president. At some point, we had to realize that those dreams can’t always be achieved. We studied something we were good at or picked a job to make ends meet. And that is okay because part of growing up is learning that not everything in life is super exciting, yet the small things we choose to enjoy make it worth it.
There’s something priceless about looking back at our passions as kids. What we did without trying to impress anyone or because it was mandatory, but for pure enjoyment. We could do it for hours until someone reminded us that the food was ready. If we can remember that single thing and enjoy it with a thankful heart, we can uncover peace.
Long-term Kona resident Angie Daul is the creator of Yawning Sparrow Artworks. She does yarn-weaving art inspired by Hawaiʻi. “I love to do oceanscapes. I do a lot of sunsets and just anything that makes me think of our beautiful island here. I’m so grateful for it all,” she says.
During grade school, Angie’s art teacher introduced her to basic weaving, a skill that has never left her. She has had it in the back of her mind ever since. She rediscovered her love for weaving right before Covid happened, and it was the perfect way to cope with it.
Her technique is similar to regular tapestry weaving, with hand-dyed hand-spun fabrics to bring it to life. Some of her pieces take up to 30 hours to make, but she does so with patience. “I want people to look at my pieces and see themselves there. To look at our Island and ocean and feel peace and awe,” Angie shares.
Find out more on her IG @yawning_sparrow_artwork.
However, inspiration is not the only benefit of art. It can also help us process emotions when we can’t explain them with words. That is what Chrissy Newman does with Aloha Abstracts through fluid art. She describes her style as “painting joy,” with colorful palettes made with acrylics and vivid textures.
Chrissy, a transplant from Oregon, painted as a child, but she stumbled onto her current style six years ago when she lost five dear people within nine months. “You know, when you have a kettle of water on, the whistle blows furiously, and then you take it off the stove, and it’s calm, quiet. Painting was something like that to my overwhelming feelings,” she shares. “It was a moment where I wasn’t thinking, I wasn’t grieving, I was just in a flow state, almost meditative. I found peace in painting intuitively and releasing myself into the creative process.”
Chrissy’s art became her therapy, and she hopes others can experience that same relief by looking at her creations. “One of my collectors told me she felt a sense of peace and tranquility when she saw my painting,” she says. “Creating gave me space so that later I could go back to the long process of enduring and processing grief with less emotional pressure. I am a deeply spiritual person, so I can't grant painting all the credit. But it certainly has added to my joy factor.”
Learn more on her IG @alohaabstracts.
Stephanie Daguio is another artist who has found herself on the canvas. Born and raised in Hawaiʻi, she works out of her studio on the Big Island, taking work on commission and specializing in charcoal and oil painting. Her influence stems from the Baroque Period, which she applies to her portraits of models to reveal their beauty.
“I love the dramatic displays of light and dark. I take that inspiration from where I live here in Hawaiʻi. My take on everyday life and also human expression,” she says.
Stephanie tries to capture sentiment through her drawings. She seeks to evoke an emotional response in the viewer, allowing them to establish a connection with the artwork.
The Baroque Period is a mastery of emotional storytelling. Stephanie attempts to emulate that same technique by leaving the spectator wondering what the story behind every piece is and what the people on the drawings were feeling when they were drawn.
“Whatever the piece's expression is, I hope it will evoke the feeling and affect the room where it is,” she says.
For more, check StephanieDaguio.com.
Whether you hand-knit, paint, draw, or do any other type of art, don’t give up on it. You might think you don’t have time to be creative anymore and that those days of being free as a child are over. But it’s all up to you. Those minutes you spend throughout the day looking at your feed become hours every week. Imagine what you could do by turning them into micro-moments of honing your craft.
Like these three Kona artists, you can create beautiful things if you permit yourself to be free. Find and do your thing!
"I want people to look at my pieces and see themselves there. To look at our Island and ocean and feel peace and awe."
"Creating gave me space so that later I could go back to the long process of enduring and processing grief with less emotional pressure."