What Lahaina Means to Me as a Maui Artist

Lahaina has been the arts center of the Hawaiian islands for decades, with more art galleries in one square block than anywhere else in the archipelago. As a young artist going to the University of Hawaii at Manoa and trying to navigate the art world, showing my artwork in Lahaina seemed like a pipe dream. Lahaina is where the top artists show their work, and I still had a lot to learn. This is my experience as a young artist getting to show my work for the first time on the famous Front Street of Lahaina, Maui.

As my art career began to take off in my late 20’s I was able to get into a group surf art show at the Wyland Gallery in Haleiwa on Oahu.  This was a huge step for me as I had spent most of my 20's being denied wall space. The Annual Surf Art Show was a success and I was fortunate to sell a lot of pieces (They were very affordable then) . Getting into the Wyland Gallery was a giant leap for me as an artist as the Wyland art gallery brand is in my opinion the most prestigious art gallery in Hawaii.
After a year at the Wyland Haleiwa location, the owner of the gallery decided to try me out at some of her other gallery locations on Oahu. This was great for me as I was fully committed to make the art business work and wanted to get my art in front of as many people as possible. As was being coveted by many new art collectors, the owner of the gallery decided I was ready to be shown in Lahaina.

Everything always felt surreal when working with the galleries. I could not believe it when the offer was presented. A gallery director would say something in passing as I was dropping of new artwork and then next thing you know I would be packing art to deliver to the next gallery. With Lahaina, the gallery that I would be showing in was the Signature Gallery. A gallery that represented Jim Carrey, Dr. Seuss, Nano Lopez,  Heather Brown and more. This was a great stepping stone for the 30 year old Welzie, a surfboard building resin artist from the North Shore, Oahu.

I created a small body of work for the Front Street Lahaina art gallery and sent it over a couple weeks prior to my art show and I got lucky, a couple pieces had sold in the first week. I was so excited. I really felt like my art career was taking off and that I was finally doing something right, after feeling like I had been doing everything wrong for so long. Before I island hopped over to Maui, I packed a few more pieces and headed to the Valley Isle.

When Arriving on Maui it was hot and windy, I had a box of art, a backpack and a smile. I had hit the big time. Inter island travel as an artist. waiting to be picked up by my represented art gallery for a big art show in the art center of the Pacific Ocean. I envisioned all my art selling off the wall and spending the rest of the evening buying rounds of drinks for everyone at the local bar. It was going to be an amazing night.

I didn’t notice my chauffeur pulling up to the curb at Kahului Airport because it was a sketchy white Astro van, not exactly what I was expecting. The gentleman yelled "Welzie!" and I hoped into the passenger seat, eager to get out of the heat. Here we go I thought. As we headed west to Lahaina, Mike my driver and I talked art the whole way. He ran the warehouse and kept all the galleries supplied with art and packed paintings to ship all over the world. As we made to 30 min drive out to the westside I got a much better understanding of the art scene in Maui and how lucky I was to be showing my art work on Front Street. 

I had only been to Lahaina once before on a trip with my family in the early 2000's. The little narrow street was glowing with energy and I looked in awe at each of the art galleries like a child seeing real life dinosaurs. It was magical. Me, an artist, arriving on Front Street for an art show, being escorted by a driver (though in a sketchy van) to show my artwork with Hawaii’s top Artists. Wow, it was like a dream, and it still is to be honest.

I jumped out of the van and went straight into the gallery as Mike took off to another gallery to pick up a few pieces that had sold the previous day. Wow I thought, this is where art is happening. Entering the gallery no one noticed me and I couldn't find my art. Not the red carpet experience I was hoping for a North Shore surf artist with 18x24" originals selling for 350$ would expect. As I approached the sales team, and introduced myself, “Hi, I..am…uh…Welzie” 

Greeted with Aloha, I soon found my work on a back wall and started talking story with the sales team. They were so nice and helpful, suggesting pieces that might work well in Lahaina. Once I got a few more pieces hung up, I headed to my hotel to get settled and have a bite to eat.

Walking Front Street is such an experience. Being right on the water, watching surfers ride waves while tamed parrots squak at you for pictures. An old hippy asks if you need some pakalolo, while locals are throwing shakas to all their friends and family. Lahaina is a magical place and you can feel the energy and aloha strolling the old narrow streets of Lahaina town. 

After checking into the historic Pioneer Inn I think about all the artists who have stayed in the same hotel before me. Showing artwork in Lahaina is a right of passage for many Hawaii artist. Lahaina is the most well known art town in the state and was once one of the highest selling art towns in the country. As the sun started to settle over Molokai I was filled with gratitude that I have the opportunity to share my work in such a historic Hawaiian art town.

As the art show began I got to visit with the art dealers and watch Front Street come alive. So many people from all walks of life passed by the small gallery space. For someone like me who loves people watching it was so entertaining. The night went on and not too many people stopped into the gallery. I got to chat with a few interesting people but it wasn’t till the end of the night when my first piece sold. A small 12x16” shave ice art piece. The family was really nice and their kids favorite part of the trip was the daily shave ice after the beach. 

It was a humbling experience showing my art work for the first time in Lahaina. It was so much more than I expected. Though I didn’t sell as much art as needed to make the trip profitable, I did get to experience the Lahaina art scene. I knew this was a place important for me to be showing my artwork and that even though it wasn’t a perfect evening, I had to improve. This is where all the top dogs are. This is where you need to have representation. This is Hawaii’s art mecca.

Over the years my work got better and I eventually got my artwork into the Wyland gallery on Front Street. For me this was a major accomplishment. In my opinion the Wyland gallery is the top gallery and to have any wall space in the ocean front gallery is truly a blessing. Lahaina makes artist step up their art game, become better and more professional at their craft, and keep them humble at the same time. Thank you Lahaina for all that you have taught me. I will pass the lessons you taught me to the next generation of Maui artist striving to show their work in the historic art town of Lahaina Maui.

Wine and Welzie Night - Art Show at the Andaz Resort Wailea Maui

 Art and wine is a favorite combination of ours, they belong together the same way beach sunsets, rainbows and aloha are just part of Hawaii. This type of experience blends a feeling of whimsical with culture, it is no wonder Wine + Welzie has become an exceedingly popular monthly event at The Welzie Art Gallery.

Welzie artist proofing an Handmade Silkscreen “Aloha Goat” at. the Wine and Welzie event at the Andaz Resort at Wailea.

As you walk through the Andaz Resort at Wailea, you are greeted by a mesmerizing ocean view, chill music blended with an upscale aloha vibe. You turn down the hallway and begin to hear people chatting and laughing as you enter the Welzie Art Gallery. This time your eyes see bright, fun and colorful artwork, pictures of Maui, turtles, sharks and goats snorkeling. The view of the ocean and sunset encompass a table filled with wine glasses and beverages.  You are greeted by a Gallery host with a big smile and she hands you a fresh glass of white wine as you begin to make your tour through the Welzie Art Gallery.  Every time you look at an art piece you can’t help but smile at the light hearted and whimsical nature of Welzie Art.

Welzie visiting with gallery guests at the Wine and Welzie event at the Andaz Resort Wailea, Maui

Welzie Art is such a unique medium created from surfboard foam, fiberglass and resin. Each piece is hand sculpted just like a surfboard.  The artwork has a cool and trendy vibe to it and the gloss on each piece makes you want to run your hand across it like a surfer grabbing their favorite surfboard. The designs and imagery are playful and feel fresh, even the sculptures make you want to touch them. 

Welzie hosts a monthly Art + Wine event in his Gallery to showcase new art, sculptures and to socialize with other friends who appreciate the nature of creativity and fine art. The Gallery is pulsing with happy energy as people gather around Welzie’s table watching him paint, dedicate and artist proof art piece for the new and seasoned collectors. You can feel the excitement as one of the guests walks up with a huge smile and shakes Welzie’s hand. He has just purchased a Silk Screen print and Welzie begins to hand paint this piece in front of the audience, we find out later this is called artist proofing and is one of the highlights that a live art night can offer.  The line of collectors is growing as each waits patiently for Welzie to sign their artwork and document their purchase and meeting the artist.

See what a Wine and Welzie Night looks like at the Andaz Resort Wailea Maui

A couple walks up and meets Welzie, they share that they are on their honeymoon and have bought their first piece of art as a married couple. Welzie’s Team lays out the large Aluminum Reproduction and Welzie turns it over and begins to sign the back. As the couple is talking about their honeymoon adventure we begin to see Welzie drawing what they are telling him they did on their trip. There are turtles, sharks and shave ice on the back of their art piece. The couple thanks Welzie and says “We don’t know which side should face the front now!”

Wine + Welzie is such a unique and fun evening that encourages socializing with the artist and other collectors while appreciating delicious wine and beautiful views in Maui. This event is a complimentary offering to the resort guests in Wailea and the community of Maui. Through the love of art we can all find connection and appreciation for vibrant color, creativity and socializing. You are invited to join us for an evening of art and wine appreciation each month at the Welzie Art Gallery located at The Andaz Resort, Wailea. Find our calendar dates on our website under Wine + Welzie. 

Posca Paint Marker Pens: 10 Tips and Tricks

 Acrylic paint markers are a wonderful tool to create artwork. I have been using the Posca paint pens for over 25 years and have developed my entire art style around these markers. Acrylic paint pens can be used on many surfaces and come in a variety of colors and brands. In this post I will share with you my top 10 tips and tricks for using Posca paint pens, my acrylic paint marker of choice, due to their opacity and their range of colors.

Tip# 1 SHAKE UP YOUR PAINT PENS FIRST

This may seem like a pretty redundant tip but so many problems can be avoided when the paint inside the marker is mixed correctly. You’ll get less spills (too much paint out of the tip), you’ll get more life out of the paint markers. There is so many benefits you’ll get from just making sure your paint in your pen is all mixed together properly. I generally shake a new pen for 1 min before opening and starting the paint. Once a paint pen has been started I will shake the pen for at least 5 seconds before each use.

Tip# 2 STARTING YOUR PAINT PENS

Your Paint marker does not come ready to use, you will have to get the paint inside the marker to flow down into the pen tip in order to use it. So make sure your pen is shaken up (tip1) then you can begin this process. Press firmly down on your paint pen and you will notice the tip of the pen receding back into the pen. This is allowing your tip to accept paint into it. There is usually about 1/8” that the tip will recede. I don’t recommend pressing the tip all the way in till it bottoms out. This may result in too much paint coming out at once or dulling your pen tip. If you do bottom out your tip don’t stress, it should be fine, just try to avoid pressing the pen tip down so far. This may take 20-40 presses to get the paint fully flowing in the tip. You will see the paint start to fill your pen tip as you do this. The pen tip does not have to be fully filled with paint to start working. As soon as the pen can start drawing its good to go. The entire tip will get filled shortly.

Tip #3 STORE YOUR PAINT PENS HORIZONTALLY

The best way to store your paint markers is to store them horizontally. Storing your pens vertically will pool the paint to the bottom, paint can dry and get crackly in the corner of the pen tube. Storing your pens horizontally will increase the lifespan of you pens significantly. It will also make it easier to get your pen started again if you haven’t used it in a while.

Tip #4 PUT THE CAP ON TILL YOU HEAR A CLICK

This seems like a tip for a child but I cant tell you how many pens I have lost over the years just from not getting the cap on correctly. If the cap doesn’t click you’re not done with it. Some pens might not get an audible click but thats ok. Do your best to make sure the paint marker pen cap is on correctly.

Tip #5 HOW TO FIX PAINT PEN OVERFLOWS AND SPILLS

Some times you may be drawing on an art piece and you’ll get a “spill” or “overflow” where too much paint seems to come out of the paint pen. This can happen for a few reasons: pushing too hard down on the tip of the pen, paint pen is too hot, paint pen may not be shaken up enough. So if your paint pen does a spill, the best trick I have learned is to stop drawing, get a paper towel or toilet paper, and use the thin edge to pull the paint away from your art piece. Don’t try to blotch out the paint until you’ve sucked up most of it into the paper towel. The paint marker paint can spread easily so you want to get the majority or all the paint sucked off your piece before you start to blotch out the rest. Doing this correctly you will see the paint suck up into the paper towel and away from you art. You will have to do this a few times until most the paint is removed. Don’t get frustrated when this happens. It happens to everyone. Just make sure to get as much paint off your piece and try not to spread it around and make it worse.

Tip #6  DON’T SMEAR YOUR ARTWORK

If your right handed, work left to right and away to near. If you're left handed work right to left and away to near. The paint in these paint pens does take a little time to dry even out here in the hot Maui weather. Working on your piece you need to be consciences that you're not dragging your arm through your artwork and ruining it. You can rotate your artwork or object to make sure your drawing arm doesn’t smear you paint, but just make sure you are paying attention. Still to this day I will sometimes smear a little. It's not often but it does happen. Pay attention and don’t get disappointed when it does happen.

Tip #7 MAKE SURE YOUR DRAWING SURFACE IS CLEAN

Weather you’re drawing on glass, a surfboard or object, make sure the area is clean. Acrylic paint markers need a good clean surface to adhere too. If the area isn’t clean you’re not going to get a good bond between the paint and the object.

Tip #8 REMOVING OR REPLACING YOUR PEN TIP

If you get something in your pen tip, it wears out, or the paint dries a little in the tip, you can replace it with a new tip. To remove your old tip just use two fingers and pull the tip straight up and out while the pen is vertical. Do not tip the pen when the tip is out. The paint shouldn’t come out of the top while the pen tip is out but its best to be safe and keep the pen vertical. You can replace your pen tip with a new tip from a new pen, or from a pen of the same color. If you do not have either of those options you can use another color pen tip but it may take a fair bit of paint to completely saturate the old color in the tip.

Tip #9 REMOVING YOUR PEN’S HEAD

Removing the head of the pen to mix colors, refill or check paint levels in your paint markers.

If you need to remove the head of the Paint marker on a Posca paint pen you will do opposite to what you’re used to. Posca Paint markers heads can be removed by twisting clockwise and tightened counter clockwise. Righty loosey -  Lefty tighty. The head of the Posca paint marker is the colored part and the tube is the black part. Hold firmly on the head and tube and twist. Sometimes these ca not be loosened with just a tight grip and may need to use vise grips or pliers.

Tip #10 CLEANING YOU PEN TIP

Sometimes softer paper can get pulled up into the pen tip and you might see little clumps of paper in the tip. You may also notice your pen tip clogging if your using a pen over an area which you have already worked on. Earthier way you will need to get the debris off your pen tip. For me, and it may not be the best idea, I usually just use the back of my opposite drawing hand to wipe the pen tip off of. A little spin of the pen while pulling away from the tip can relieve your paint marker’s tip from any unwanted debris that is messing up your line work.

If you have any questions please leave a comment below and I will get back to you as quickly as possible. 

Here is a video I made for my YouTube channel where you can see in a little more detail these tips for Posca paint pen use.

Check out all my artwork using acrylic paint markers on my website at www.welzie-art.com

Follow me on Instagram @welzie_art

Sign up for my newsletter here.

Visit my Art Gallery at the Andaz Resort in Wailea Maui where you can take an art class and use  the same process I use in all my artwork.

Welzie + Pactimo Collaboration to Raise Funds for the Maui Wildfires

 Welzie and Pactimo collaborate on a cycling jersey to help raise funds for the victims of the Maui Wild fires. This unique partnership has allowed both Welzie and Pactimo to do what they do best and  bring what the people of Lahaina need most, money. In this fundraiser Pactimo will donate $60 from the sale of each jersey and $20 for every tee with 50% going to the Hawai'i Community Foundation's Maui Strong Fund & the remaining 50% to two local bike shops that were destroyed by the fire.

This project was great for Welzie to be able to work on a creative project that can reach people outside of the local Maui network. “It was so great to be able to put some of my art to work and be able to raise much needed money for our local community here on Maui” - Welzie

With the intensity of the aftermath of the Lahaina wild fires it was hard for Welzie to create so we decided to go with a design that would fit the situation at hand. Welzie’s Rainbow Shark piece really stood out as the best possible piece because it shows how different sharks can come together to create something beautiful. Which is what we are experiencing here on Maui. Everyone from all walks of life coming together to help those in need.

The Love Maui Love idea was inspired by Welzie feeling love from all over the world being sent to Maui and how Maui was really experiencing a love sandwich. The overwhelming support from the global community shows how much Maui means too so many people around the world.

We’re so lucky to be apart of this collaboration that is raising money for the Maui Strong Foundation as well as directly supporting 2 of the local bike shops in Lahaina: West Maui Cycles, and Maui Sunriders. As a local Maui resident we know these shops  have been supporting the local cycling community here on Maui for years. Although the bike shops in Lahaina are gone, the cycling community remains strong.

Maui has such a strong cycling community. Whether is riding in the Makawow forest preserve track, Downhill rides from the top of Haleakala, road biking in the year around perfect weather or taking your beach cruzer and surfboard down to the local surf break, Maui has everything a two wheeled enthusiast can enjoy.

Fortunately for our Welzie Art team we all remained safe throughout the fires. There was a fire close to the art studio but luckily all we experienced was ash and soot. There is so much work that needs to be done to get families back to their Lahaina community and we hope that the proceeds from this fundraiser can help make that happen.

Welzie’s connection to cycling began growing up behind a bike shop in Santa Cruz California where him and his buddies lived on their bikes. Wether it was BMX jumping in the local dirt lot, Mountain Biking the Santa Cruz Mountains or using the beach cruzer to get to the surf before he could drive. Two wheel fun has always been a part of Welzie’s lifestyle.

One thing we have learned in this disaster is the outpouring of support for all the communities around the globe. It is a great reminder that there are people out there that share the same interest as you. Everyone has a community wether you realize it or not and its important to be a part of it. Its your community that will be there when you need it most. Thank you to Pactimo for initiating this fundraiser, Gear junkie.com and bicycling.com for sharing the fundraiser.

Check out this interview below with Welzie and the CEO of Pactimo discussing this project.

 

Welzie Art Project Time: Episode 1

https://youtu.be/1DIYa_H-yjQ

Welzie Art Giclee Line

Welzie Art - North Shore- Haleiwa Hawaii - Surf Art

Welzie Art - North Shore- Haleiwa Hawaii - Surf Art

Welzie Art - North Shore- Haleiwa Hawaii - Surf Art

Welzie Art - North Shore- Haleiwa Hawaii - Surf Art

Welzie Art - North Shore- Haleiwa Hawaii - Surf Art

Welzie Art - North Shore- Haleiwa Hawaii - Surf Art

Welzie Art - North Shore- Haleiwa Hawaii - Surf Art

Welzie Art - North Shore- Haleiwa Hawaii - Surf Art

Welzie Art - North Shore- Haleiwa Hawaii - Surf Art

Daimond Head - 

Welzie Art - North Shore- Haleiwa Hawaii - Surf Art

Welzie Art - North Shore- Haleiwa Hawaii - Surf Art

Welzie Art - North Shore- Haleiwa Hawaii - Surf Art

Welzie Art - North Shore- Haleiwa Hawaii - Surf Art

Welzie Art - North Shore- Haleiwa Hawaii - Surf Art

Welzie Art - North Shore- Haleiwa Hawaii - Surf Art

Welzie Art - North Shore- Haleiwa Hawaii - Surf Art

Welzie Art - North Shore- Haleiwa Hawaii - Surf Art

Welzie Art - North Shore- Haleiwa Hawaii - Surf Art

Welzie Art - North Shore- Haleiwa Hawaii - Surf Art

Welzie Art - North Shore- Haleiwa Hawaii - Surf Art

Welzie Art - North Shore- Haleiwa Hawaii - Surf Art

Welzie Art - North Shore- Haleiwa Hawaii - Surf Art

Welzie Art - North Shore- Haleiwa Hawaii - Surf Art

Welzie Art - North Shore- Haleiwa Hawaii - Surf Art

Welzie Art - North Shore- Haleiwa Hawaii - Surf Art

Waimea Bay - Welzie Art - North Shore- Haleiwa Hawaii - Surf Art