Highlights
Handpicked by DianaHansenYoung
Vintage from the 1990s
Width: 30 inches
Height: 24 inches
 
About this item
"Ho'olaulea" is a 24" x 30" print on paper from the published original acrylic painting by the same name. "Ho'olaulea" means a celebration, or festival, in Hawaiian. The inspiration for this painting came from a Ho'olaulea I attended in California. It was packed with enthusiastic and homesick Hawaiians, different hula halaus - some from Hawaii, some from the mainland - soaking in plate lunches, flower leis, Hawaiian music, and dancing, both hula kahiko (ancient hula) and hula 'auana (modern hula). There was a group of young women who had already danced, standing on the sidelines, watching other dances. I was struck by the hapa-haole mix of all the races that make up today's Hawaiian woman: Hawaiian, Chinese, Japanese, haole, Filipino, Samoan. I took a photograph, and decided to do a painting of the group of women.

Here's a little story about the original painting from which I made the print: "Ho'olaulea" was what I think of as "high-anxiety": seven women - and if I six beautifully, and the seventh was wrong - all was for naught. My style of doing the faces comprises a number of washes, with the white of the canvas showing through the washes to create the highlights; I do not use white on the faces. They can't be painted over. . . thus, the more women I finished, the 'mo' pressure' was on.

I personally sign the print "Aoha, Diana Hansen-Young, 2012" but I can also add personalization, such as "To Susan, Aloha, or "Happy Birthday) - (etc)" This can be framed (needs glass) or if you can't afford framing, just put it on the wall with thumb tacks and enjoy looking at it and thinking about the last ho'olaulea you went to, or danced in.

Aloha, and enjoy!