OMG…Found This Wonderful Photograph

I have come to the conclusion today that I have way too much going on simultaneously. I paint, I write children’s stories (strictly for my mo’opuna), I am writing my memoirs and journal through scrap booking, and I’ve added my blog…all of this so that my progeny will know those who have come before them. I believe that leaving a “trail” for those who follow you is very important. A large part of who you are is not only traced through your blood lines – but also through your upbringing, environment and events throughout your life that negatively or positively shape the person you become. When you get to my age you will come to realize that all that you’ve personally experienced comes rushing back, in some cases, like powerful waves pounding the beaches…sometimes like gentle waves whispering those memories as they wash over island shores.

Anyhow let me get to the fun stuff…this photograph I rediscovered today while scrap booking. The reason I even found this is because my grandniece who looks exactly like her grandmother (Glori in the picture below) wanted to know what her grandmother looked like when she was younger. Unfortunately, not as clear as I would've liked it to be.


All four sisters are pictured here. I’ve laid out names I could remember by their positions. Fortunately, I was able to crop photo to what I've posted below.

Gloriann and Leina'ala

Charlene, me way in the back (white lei on head)

I was a mere child and along with my three sisters, being Hawaiian young ladies, had to learn to do the hula. Our teacher was our Auntie Hilda (I think I mentioned her in an earlier blog)…anyhow she was a strict teacher, from the big city of Honolulu who moved to small town Kihei on the island of Maui after she married one of my uncles. Glori, the eldest, was IMHO beautiful. She had 6-pak abs; long, long legs; and “stacked.” When she was home from school, with her girlfriends from boarding school I was always in awe…but then I was the “baby sister” and anything my older sisters did I soaked up like a sponge. This event is called an Uniki, which is a graduation for hula classes. I remember that we did it in the VERY old Kihei Theater (I'm pretty sure it was the early 50's). Let me describe the theater; the screen was on the stage you see there and the audience sat on old wooden benches and bleachers on dirt floors. If you looked up you could see the stars. I remember being so nervous about performing and looked to my sisters for encouragement. At least this is the way I remember it...memories have a way of looking different through different eyes.

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My Sisters

It’s interesting that as you get older, that without having the intent, thoughts go back to earlier years.I’ve been told that this happens as you age, but being that I’ve never been at this space in time before I am just now discovering this to be fact. Can’t say whether I like it or not because then I have to admit that I am at that time of life. Actually a comfortable place to be, IMHO, because I am comfortable with who I am and am accepting of my past mistakes and human frailties.

I am remembering Wailuku, Maui in the mid ‘50’s. I had three older sisters… slim, long legs and extremely attractive. In order of age, they were Glori, Lei and Charlene…at least that’s the names I called them. They all had Hawaiian names, but Glori and Charlene went by their given English names. Lei did not have an English name and I was called by my Hawaiian name…Lokelani or Loke for short. Oh, almost forgot that we did have a brother…Kaiwa. He was the youngest of five and unfortunately he was kind of lost in the midst of all these women.

My sisters were popular, never lacking for dates. Needless to say our home never lacked for visiting young men. Glori and Charlene attended Kamehameha School for girls, a boarding school on the island of Oahu so other than holidays, they were gone for nine months out of the year. When they were home for summer vacation though they told stories of their in-school exploits…stories I loved hearing. Glori’s stories were the funniest because she was into everything. She was the “big man” on campus, had lots of boyfriends, and did crazy things. One story I remember really well is that after lights out she wanted to visit with the girls in other rooms, stripped down to her undies, climbed out the window and swung from window to window to get where she wanted to go. Can’t remember if she took her clothes with her. She told me this story herself so I have to assume it was for real. My sister Lei was an asthmatic through most of her childhood and spent a lot of time in the hospital. However, she still proved to be a typical teenager; having her share of boyfriends. In my opinion, compared to them, my life was pretty colorless.

Recently did this for a dyptich.
From front to back: Lei, Charlene and me.

Make A Joyful Noise - Finish Part 1, Start Part 2

This is it…finally finished (with minor adjustments after it dries). If you recall back in my blog post of June 13, 2009, I gave the history of this piece. I witnessed this powerful event in 1992 and decided that someday I would attempt to paint it. I did a piece from memory last year and titled it “Reconciliation;” it did not reflect, for me, what I had in mind. It did; however, serve the purpose of conveying the message that Hawaiians turned from their gods and goddess of old to accept the one Christian God. I stumbled on the negatives of the photos, which I couldn’t believe I still had, developed them to be used as reference…coming up with what you see above.

“Reconciliation”

18x24 oil on stretched canvas
Available for sale

Now, moving on to part 2 of this diptych…here is the start.


That day on the rim of Halema’uma’u there were about 30 dancers, so you can just imagine the power that emanated from the chanters and dancers …SPECTACULAR. These three dancers symbolize those 30 dancers. The pose is in praise of the Almighty, their features are of myself and my sisters. In searching photos for features for the dancers, I thought why not use our features…we were, after all, hula dancers from the time we were kids into adulthood. Using our features, I thought, would make it extra special…a family heirloom…maybe!!

A little story behind that… growing up, it was expected that young Hawaiian girls learn to dance the hula. My Auntie Hilda was recruited for that job and was a tough taskmaster. There were five of us…four girls and one boy. The boy was the youngest (poor kid) and I was the youngest of the four girls. My older sisters were ruthless and harassed me constantly about my dancing ability. So much so that I grew to hate the hula, and vowed to develop into a better dancer than any of them were. Whether I was able to accomplish that would be a matter of opinion among the four of us.

I don't want to bore you with the progress, so I will post this painting again when totally completed, unless I hear from someone to the contrary.

Aloha until next time.