The Blue Sea Artisans Gallery features painter Mark Martel in November.

Not long after falling in love with the islands on a vacation, painter Mark Martel and his wife Kate moved to Hawai’i. Following a career in design and illustration, Mark refocused on fine art. Twelve years of living in Captain Cook has shown Mark how much there is to learn about Hawai’i, and how much there is to paint.

For wildlife and historical scenes, Mark draws on photos, sketchbooks, and research. In a Molokai bar he spotted an old snapshot of watermen setting off on the epic Molokai to Oahu canoe race. Two paintings of native Hawaiian birds trace from images in clippings, email, and online discussions with a local wildlife Facebook group. Shown above are two Alala, native Hawaiian crows. A captive breeding program with the last known crows in existence has struggled to successfully release the birds in the wild.

Plein air landscapes round out Mark’s display this month. In the gallery he offers originals, prints, cards and his art book, If The Masters Painted Hawai‘i: How Picasso, Van Gogh, Warhol and others might have pictured Hawai‘i.

Save the dates:
Blue Sea Artisans Anniversary Reception, Friday Nov. 22 from 4-6 pm, light pupus and refreshments.

SOKO Holiday Sale Dec. 8, 10-4 pm in Yano Hall next to the Sunday Green Market in Captain Cook. Includes Mark, Lorie Taylor and Mitch Hurst from Blue Sea. Mahalo!