I have been visiting Kauai intermittently during the last 20 years, each visit special in its own way and accompanied by unique revelations emerging out of the timeless beauty of nature. Indeed everywhere I gaze I’m captivated by Kauai’s splendor, the diversity of its flora and fauna, its a varied and ample landscape surrounded by the blue expanse of the Pacific Ocean. The most northerly island of the chain, this island boasts of the ‘Grand Canyon of the Pacific’, Waimea canyon, countless reefs , surf breaks in the South, and the rugged Nepali coast to the north. It is home to the rainiest place on earth with its lush vegetation , Mt. Waialeale in contrast to the west. Near Barking Sands air base the vegetation is less dense the land arid. The constant presence of the Pacific Ocean manifests itself in the sounds of the surf, the moisture in the air, the clouds drifting in landward overhead, each a reminder that you are standing on a rock in an expanse of water that extends far beyond the horizon. There is a feeling of isolation and intimacy with nature especially on the wilder and rainier North Shore.
The Garden Island
The staggering variety of plants on Kauai give the garden island it’s monicker. From towering Norfolk Island Pines to prodigious groves of coconut palms to Miriam shrubs and flowering plants , stands of bamboo, creepers, grasses and vegetation dominates the field of vision. Out of the fertile red volcanic soil plants practically erupt out of the ground. The different exotic shapes, bright colors and fragrant smells embue the entire scene with an immersive and other worldly vibe. The sites and sounds of the enfolding forests and mountains in the center of the island gives way to tall grass plains that in turn accommodate the cultivated agricultural land with its expansive fields and ordered furrows. All of these different environments interweave like a tapestry to give rise to a land of breathtaking beauty.
Tunnels
One of Kauai’s premier surf spots on the North Shore, Tunnels starts at the reef’s outer edge, waves rise as the deep ocean water propelled by the approaching swell push onto the shallow reef. Mounds of water expand, rising skyward, then collapse on themselves in a tubular cataclysmic of white water, spray and foam !
Surrounding Kee beach is a sandy beach surrounded by vegetation where you can gaze at Mt. Makana, the jagged ridgeline forming its silhouette against the backdrop of clouds and a setting sun. My Makana interests me particularly as a subject for future paintings because each time I’ve seen it it appears differently, according to the light, time of day, season of the year, and weather, each time the mountain reveals itself anew, almost as if I’m seeing this for the first time. I’m thinking of augmenting my photo record with sketches, maybe even color studies... we’ll see.....
