Vinca Patch, 1989
The old Ulupalakua Ranch buildings have been a fascination for me for decades. I clearly remember the first time I came upon the area in the early 70's because it was accompanied by a distinct sense of deja vu. There was something about the place that spoke to me about either having been there before or possibly even an intuition of future involvement with the ranch. It was almost unsettlingly strange and exciting.
As it turned out, I was very soon commissioned to do painting of the main ranch house. Shortly thereafter, the painting burned up in the house fire. When the ranch put in the winery, I was asked to be their very first label artist. The Maui Blanc label was in supermarkets far and wide. I've painted the winery tasting room and many other charming sites on the ranch property. Vinca Patch is one of those paintings. It's a rendering filled with the floral detail of a little residence nestled in the tall trees of the ranch headquarters. After 22 years, it has come back to us via an estate sale and looks as fresh as the day I painted it.