After a crazy few years of not traveling, I didn't expect to go to two of my favorite spots on this planet! Wow—Italy in May and Hawaii in July. I know I am so blessed and believe me, gratitude pours out when I'm in these places as I am just in awe of all the beauty.
Mark booked this Hawaiian family trip and made all the travel arrangements! Yay for me. He chose to stay on Napili Coast in Maui (up above the popular Lanhani and Kaanapali shores) and we also broke the trip into two condos, but both places were in the same town which worked out great.
And did we hit the jackpot, no pun intended (get it - a pot of gold under the rainbow!)
Our first spot at Napili Point had incredible views, and we were literally on the water. And the timing was amazing as the south shores of Maui were experiencing the biggest swell they've had in a decade. So all along the west side of the island, the waves were incredible to look at (but a little too big to surf!)
I am happy getting up before everyone else, gazing at the turquoise waters, enjoying the breeze, and finding rainbows in the sky. Looking past our private lanai onto the ocean with Molokai in the distance. I can hear the birdsong, palms rustling, and the waves coming up. What could be better and more relaxing?
Besides searching the sky for all sorts of beauty - sunrises, sunsets, rainbows, clouds, and blue skies, I also love looking down at the ground. Especially in Hawaii with strewn about petals in gorgeous colors (great idea for future color palettes!)
The flowers. Enough of a reason that Hawaii keeps pulling me back. Always in bloom with beautiful scents, filling me with inspiration for future paintings. I created a Lake Como palette in May, and made one for Maui too!
Indigo blue, sky blue, turquoise blue - I would be happy with only blues, but green and pink were a must as well. I can't wait to show you some art that I am creating with these colors - they make me so happy! Here's a sneak peek:
The hidden grove of trees on the way down to Honolua Bay was magical (I could have stayed there all day!) This is one of my favorite photos as you can see how big the trees are, spot Sienna walking amongst this sweet little jungle!
Even though I brought enough watercolors, brushes and paper to last while (haha) - I really spent the most time creating in my little sketchbook which I enjoyed so much!
Every day I found time to sketch in it, even if it was for a few minutes. I loved carrying around this Moleskine pocket-sized journal as it was easy to stick in the beach bag and pull out (healthier than grabbing the phone to scroll!) When I had only had a little time, I'd do a quick outline and then later in the day, I'd add on to it with shading and more lines.
I decided to bring the accordion fold/Japanese style one on this trip and created a horizon line from the ocean on most of the pages. I love how it turned out! Check out this quick video I made to see all the sketches opened up as well.
Speaking of beaches - our favorites were Slaughterhouse and Honolua Beach, up at the top of Napili Coast. We saw a lot of turtles on both beaches, which was incredible. We found a lot of the beaches that we loved on this site - "25 great snorkel beaches"
From the web:
Slaughterhouse Beach, or "Mokuleʻia Beach," is a sand beach in Maui. It is located off of Rte. 30 in Mokuleʻia Bay, directly east of Fleming Beach and directly west of Honolua Bay. The beach is a part of the Honolua-Mokuleʻia Bay Marine Life Conservation District.
The name "slaughterhouse" derives from the Honolua Ranch slaughterhouse and tanning/storage shed that were located on the cliff's edge above the ocean. The buildings were torn down in the 1960s, but the name remains. In contrast, the Hawaiian name Mokule'ia means "district of abundance."
Honolua Bay consists of a rocky shoreline with a small beach, coral reefs in a marine preserve, and a world-renowned surf break.
I was so happy to spend some time with my sweet friend Sande Green - we had "pupus" and an amazing drink, "Painkiller" - Bob and Sande's favorite recipe from the Caribbean. All I remember is that it had pineapple and rum in it, and it was delicious! Sande exudes such love and kindness, it was such a treat to be in her gorgeous home on the beach filled with all her incredible art!
Going to Hawaii was an incredible family trip, and it's a place we all love so much. It was a time to slow down and enjoy each other and soak in the beauty of it all. Be grateful and appreciative. Get inspired and share kindness. You can't help but do that when you are on the island!
Ahola!
Andrea