Waikiki Beach, Honolulu

Arrived in Honolulu yesterday afternoon.  This morning we walked the esplanade from Waikiki Beach to Kapiolani  Park where we enjoyed a great view of Diamondhead.  We enjoyed walking beneath the banyan trees. We found several birds that were new to me, the Java sparrow, waxbill, red-crested Cardinal, etc.  Cowboy Joe tailgate here at the Marriott before the game.  Perfect weather, perfect day, all except the final score!

Haleakala National Park, Maui

Today we got an early start driving from Kahana to Haleakala National Park where we took a 3 mile hike with a wonderful native naturalist guide on a Nature Conservancy easement at Hosmer's Grove.  We saw native flora and fauna including the apapane, amakihi and I'iwi.  We enjoyed seeing the endangered Hawaiian goose, the nene, as well.  After the hike we drove to the summit to see the crater and also the Silversword plant.  Saw chukars in the visitor center parking lot, too.  Tomorrow we fly to Honolulu for the football game.  Have really enjoyed our time here in Maui.

Maui, Hawaii

Arrived in Maui the afternoon of the fourth, guess I have been on Island Time.  We took the road to Hana on the fifth, and enjoyed the lush tropical vegetation with waterfalls along the way.  We stopped and hiked to Twin Falls where we saw Palm trees, banana trees, and many beautiful flowers along the way.  Tuesday we visited Kilea Ponds and walked the boardwalk and swam in the Pacific Ocean.  Yesterday we visited Kilea Ponds National Wildlife Refuge where we saw the Hawaiian Stilt and the Hawaiian coot along with shorebirds, herons and egrets.  In the afternoon we visited the Maleea Harbor and the Maui Ocean Center there.  Wonderful exhibits with brightly colored reef fish, green sea turtles etc.  Today we took the Four Winds to Molokini Crater where we snorkeled and saw the fish in their natural habitat.  We also saw the Great Frigatebirds that feed on the Shearwater chicks nesting on the other side of the Sanctuary.  Saw Green Sea Turtles in the ocean on the way back to the Bay.

Window Through Time selected for Art Steamboat

This watercolor painting "Window Through Time" was one of thirty selected by juror Betsy Dillard Stroud for the Art Steamboat Show.  From the website: "New for 2014 is Art Steamboat, a juried art show that will showcase the spectacular and diverse artworks of thirty finalists from the Rocky Mountain region. The pieces will be displayed in art galleries and alternative venues in Steamboat Springs throughout the All Arts Festival beginning August 1, showcasing unique artistic talents in Steamboat’s idyllic mountain setting.  The art competition culminates on August 15 with a celebratory awards reception where the grand prize of $10,000 will be awarded to an artist and each piece will be available for sale to the public. "

Wyoming Wilderness Association Traveling Art Exhibition

My watercolor painting "Wandering Through Wilderness" has been selected for the Wyoming Wilderness Association Traveling Art Show celebrating Wyoming's Wilderness and the fiftieth anniversary of The Wilderness Act.  The 25 selected works of art will be on exhibit at the Sagebrush Community Art Center in Sheridan from September 3rd to October 3rd, at the Craig Thomas Discovery Center in Moose, Wyoming from October 6th through November 1st, and the Berry Biodiversity Center in Laramie, Wyoming from November 5th through the 30th.

Jean Meunchrath, Artist in Residence Coordinator & Joy Keown with painting donation

Traveled to Rocky Mountain National Park last Wednesday to deliver my watercolor painting "Across the Valley" to Jean Meunchrath, Artist in Residence Coordinator for Rocky.  The painting is done from Lumpy Ridge and looks across the valley of Estes Park to Longs Peak in the distance. The painting is done from the same location where Birger Sandzen did his work "Long's Peak".  I totally enjoyed the two weeks in Rocky as an Artist in Residence and the many months of preparation for my project in Rocky. 

Queenstown, Otago, South Island, New Zealand

We flew across "the big ditch" or the Tasman Sea, from Sidney to Christchurch, New Zealand, and then took a coach to Queenstown.  We have enjoyed spectacular scenery here where "The Lord of the Rings" was filmed.  We enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Walter Peak with a Sheep shearing demo.  Although NewZealand is known for its sheep ranching and fine woolens, the dairy industry and wineries are also important to the New Zealand economy.  yesterday we took a coach to Fjiordlands National Park and toured Milford Sound with spectacular scenery  as well as bottle nose dolphins and NZ for seals.  One of my favorites was the Chasm hike through fern filled forests to a beautiful waterfall that has carved  the igneous rock.