PO‘IPU — Bonita Hensley was glad she was a part of the Women Artists on Kaua‘i Sunday at the 4th annual Winter Fine Arts Festival held at the National Tropical Botanical Gardens South Shore Visitors Center. Blanketed by the soothing
PO‘IPU — Bonita Hensley was glad she was a part of the Women Artists on Kaua‘i Sunday at the 4th annual Winter Fine Arts Festival held at the National Tropical Botanical Gardens South Shore Visitors Center.
Blanketed by the soothing sounds of Dr. Matt Miller’s acoustically enhanced classical guitar, patrons browsed through the offerings of seven advertised Women Artists on Kaua‘i under the shade of the monkeypod tree boughs.
“I just joined the group and I need the exposure,” said Hensley, a Kalaheo photographer who, in addition to her website, only sells at craft fairs and private shows.
Marionette Taboniar, the Women Artists of Kaua‘i event coordinator, said three new artists took advantage of the event at the NTBG Visitor Center to show off their work. A portion of the proceeds from art sales by participating artists was donated back to the NTBG for its programs.
Hensley was one of three new artists, all photographers, who showed off their accomplishments before a steady stream of people who mingled through the tents. She was joined by Rhonda Forsberg of Kapa‘a and Lannie Boesiger of Po‘ipu.
“A lot of the work I’ve done is actually photographed here at the Gardens,” Hensley said. “I used to have a point-and-shoot camera and only a couple of months ago, I started shooting with a Canon Rebel T2i.”
Hensley said she took advantage of a kama‘aina day to get to the lotus blossoms in the McBryde Gardens and spent a lot of time photographing the delicate pink blossoms, one of which is the flagship of her calling card, “Sharing Beauty.”
“One of my favorites is from the Cannonball Tree,” Hensley said. “I spent over an hour at the tree.”
Forsberg’s style of photography resembles one of painting, the artist using light creatively to give tropical flowers and hula a unique look and feel.
“I’ve been photographing for about 35 years,” Forsberg said. “I’ve been on Kaua‘i less than a year, but I’ve been coming here for 25 years before closing my studio in Portland, Oregon. I want my style of work to be seen into the beautiful things we have here.”
Forsberg said some of her work is available at the Halale‘a gallery in The Shops at Kukui‘ula and in Hanalei, where it has been selling.
Boesiger takes her style of work to the next level, making it easy for art aficionados to acquire and display her pieces while being able to incorporate her magic into the presentations.
“I came with a major in fine art from Bellingham, Washington,” Boesiger said. “Right now, I work on my living room floor in my home.”
She said she has been doing art for 10 years, but has never sold anything.
“Mainly, I’ve been giving pieces away,” she said. “And when the recipients don’t display it, they always have a reason like ‘I need to get it framed,’ or something.”
Her new concept is to transfer photographs, currently color, although she prefers working with black-and-white prints, onto wood pieces which she has routed so the artwork is ready to hang.
Once the print is on the wood, she applies finishing touches with paint.
Joining the new members, Taboniar was joined by Anna Skaradzinska who now grows her own supply of palm sheaths to paint on, Patrice Pendarvis — who struggled with the wind at the All Kaua‘i Holiday Gift Fair Saturday at Kaua‘i Community College — Helen Turner and Caylin Spear.
Visit www.womenartistsofkauai.blogspot.com for more information on the artists. Call 742-2433 for more information on the NTBG Visitor Center.
