Photos 2011

Volcano Garden Arts

On the way back from the 5th Worldwide Okinawan Festival, I stopped off in Hawaii for the weekend.

Mom is a big fan of the Volcano Garden Arts, created in large part by artist Ira Ono.

This was the first time I visited, and I was mesmerized... enchanted... thrilled to see all the art pieces thoughtfully placed here and there to great effect.

I used to think that the Volcano Art Center was the main source of visual art in Volcano, but I had to change my mind about that.


You can have lunch in the greenhouse. It was chilly and overcast, though, so we didn't. But I bet it's a beautiful place to eat when it's warm and sunny		The expansive lawn greets you as soon as you enter the grounds. There's a goat in a pen in the back. 3/4 size gaudily colorful Chinese statues to the right. I just love this place!


I had to get close to this to make sure what I saw really were birdhouses. It immediately reminded me of Keith Carter's "Oak Tree"		One of the enchanting things about this place is that it combines this beautiful outer worldly imagery with the lush tropical plant and flower shapes.

Buddhas abound at the Volcano Garden Arts
Buddhas are tucked everywhere at the Volcano Garden Arts


Statues of imps also seem to be a specialty of the area. They remind me of menehunes, or even a variety of Asian hobbit		This small, thoughtful arrangement reminds me of a photograph I took of a fountain at a friends' house many years ago in Idaho. I particularly like the vivid blue tones


I couldn't help but think of all the work it takes to keep a garden like this going. Care and energy emanated from every corner of this space		Small touches like the bright flowers in this wine barrel pond were everywhere