Lavender Rain in Full Bloom, 2014
Here in the higher elevations of the island, we have entered the season when the predominant color in the landscape is lavender. We call this time of year Jacaranda Season. As the Jacarandas begin to bloom, the conversation in the gallery tends towards comparisons of this year's blossoms to past seasons. Some think there isn't much of a change of season in Hawaii, but in the higher elevations, it's easy to notice as the temperature warms and the trees begin to flower.
Memories flood back of the springtime paintings I've done of Maui over the years. Looking back at scenes I've painted can be like leafing though an old photo book. I'm drawn right back to 1984 when we first found our property. The pasture next door had a beautiful Jacaranda tree raining purple blossoms on an elderly little laundry shed that hadn't been used for decades. Curiously, it had a shelf of "bluing" bottles used to make whites look whiter. From an artistic perspective, it was charming with the lavender flowers sprinkled on the roof. I painted it with the tree in partial bloom of purples and greens and titled it Lavender Rain. In honor of this Jacaranda season, I brought the tree to full bloom.