Images From The Green Shack

Here are links to fineartamerica pages that display some of my images
hawaii framed prints
hawaii posters
hawaii greeting cards
tropical digital art
tropical paintings
tropical drawings
tropical mixed media
tropical pastels
tropical prints
tropical canvas prints
tropical framed prints
tropical greeting cards
tropical posters

Art as Attitude

When I made the pastels and paintings in this blog I had a very positive attitude. I enjoyed the experience. The art is a reflection of that enjoyment. -Ken
kauai digital art
kauai paintings
kauai drawings
kauai mixed media
kauai pastels
kauai prints

Beach Palm

"Beach Palm", A soft pastel on Arches paper, by Kenneth Grzesik, 28 inches by 14 inches. On the south side of Moloa'a Bay there stands a graceful palm tree. Over the years I've spent a good amount of quality time in the shade of this fine tree. I've napped, laughed with friends, painted, ate, drank, dreamed and idled time away as the wind swayed it's palms. I look forward to being there again.

Windblown

"Windblown", a soft pastel on Hahnemuhle velour paper, by Kenneth Grzesik, 18.75 inches by 26.75 inches. In the winter months the wind can be strong and continous. Climbing to the top of the first hill on the Napali trail I pause to rest and look back towards the beach. In the distance a whale breaches.

Light Touch

"Light Touch", a soft pastel on Hahnemuhle velour paper, by Kenneth Grzesik, 26.75 inches by 18.75 inches. Sitting on a rock by the side of a stream, enjoying the day, a simple pleasure took place. A small passing butterfly lightly landed on my hand. It remained for a short time before continuing on.

Secret Beach Sunset

"Secret Beach Sunset", a soft pastel on Hahnemuhle velour paper, by Kenneth Grzesik, 18.75 inches by 26.75 inches. Inspired by recollections of Secret Beach this pastel focuses on a days end. Earlier as the sun warmed the beach spinner dolphins played in the calm waters. With the setting sun and cooling temperatures clouds that had hovered over the interior of Kauai began to billow as they moved out over the ocean. Walking the beach toward the trail that leads to the road I noticed showers that had started to fall in the distance. These were accented by the prismatic colors of the setting sun.

A Pleasant Place

"Swimmers View", a soft pastel on Hahnemuhle velour paper, by Kenneth Grzesik, 18.75 inches by 26.75 inches. Imagine swimming at Tunnels Beach on a warm sunny morning. A gentle breeze stirs hazy clouds as waves lap at the edge of a nearby reef. The water being slightly cool is quite refreshing. Looking up, the view is magical.

Reefwalk

"Reefwalk", a soft pastel on Hahnemuhle velour paper, by Kenneth Grzesik, 8 inches by 14 inches. As the early morning sun slowly warmed the beach walking on the reef revealed a reflection of Bali Hai in a still pool of water. This pastel image reflects a feeling of calm well-being that was felt at that moment.

Sunspot

"Sunspot" , a soft pastel on Hahnemuhle velour paper, by Kenneth Grzesik, 8 inches by 14 inches. As tradewinds move scattered clouds across the Hawaiian sky sunspots race over the landscape. These islands of light are pleasantly warm as they highlight the contours of Kauai.

North Shore

"North Shore", an acrylic painting on canvas by Kenneth Grzesik, 14 inches by 11 inches. Created during a rainy period the colors were blended by the elements as raindrops fell upon the work in progress. It seemed like every time I went to the wet caves to work on this canvas waves of clouds would blow in from the ocean. As clouds stalled against the volcanic mountains sheets of rain would race along the beach. The showers would be followed by sunbreaks. As the sun warmed the air I would apply more pigment. Before the colors could completely dry more showers approached. I would open my handy umbrella and wait for them to pass. The image slowly took form.

Moutain View

"Mountain View", an acrylic painting on canvas, by Kenneth Grzesik, 14 inches by 11 inches. I had heard that in Hanalei on Saturday mornings there was a farmers market where artist and crafts people could set up a table and sell their wares. Being low on funds this seemed like a good thing to investigate. I loaded a bunch of art into my old truck and headed north only to get there too late to do any good. It was a cloudy, breezy morning that had a somewhat powerful feel to it. I took my box of paints and a fresh canvas and headed to the beach to see what I could see. Really liking the view from the pier I sat down at one of the tables and unbacked my stuff. As I sketched in my composition clouds drifted by. These were heavy rain clouds that would completely engulf the mountains only to be blown away be the strong breeze. During the times of clearing waterfalls cascaded down the mountainside. I painted the day away, still broke but far richer by the experience.

Anahola Bay

"Anahola Bay", an acrylic painting on canvas, by Kenneth Grzesik, 14 inches by 11 inches. This image goes back to Christmas of 2003. I was hanging out in Anahola enjoying a wonderful stretch of Kona weather. It seemed like the beautiful sunny days would never end. One day when I was at Walmart in Lihue I spotted an acrylic paint set in a really neat wood box. It contained everything you needed to create a beautiful painting. I'd been thinking about painting as I haven't done it in a long time. The little box looked like it would be great to take on location. So I bought it and headed down to the beach. I worked on "Anahola Bay" for a number of days. Sometimes I would take it down to the beach park. At other times I would just sit on the porch at Chaz's place and put down layers of color. It was fun to paint again.

Three New Paintings

Three New Paintings by Kenneth Grzesik - What I have here are three acrylic paintings on epoxy board. In the past I have had some problems keeping my pastels clean and crisp in the tropical envoirnment. I had this package of 8 inch by 10 inch epoxy boards that I bought several years ago and never used. One day I spotted it in a collection of random stuff and decided to give it a try. I found it to be durable, easy to transport and it is generally just a great surface to paint on. The top image is titled "Ke'e Dream" and was composed from recollections. The middle image is titled "Anahola Morning". The image is a visual recollection of a morning I drove back from town. Earlier, as the sun rose, it had been cloudy with showers. I took the back road as the clouds cleared and the sun highlighted Anahola Mountain. The bottom image is titled "A Favorite Spot". Over the years I've been coming to this spot on Aliomanu Beach to sit in the sun and swim. I always feel refreshed when it's time to leave.

A New Day at Ke'e

"A New Day at Ke'e", a soft pastel on Hahnemuhle velour paper, by Kenneth Grzesik, 8 inchess by 14 inches. Starting a new day at Ke'e is always a fine time. It's so sublime as it frees the mind.

Ke'e Beach View

"Ke'e Beach View", a soft pastel on Hahnemuhle velour paper, by Kenneth Grzesik, 14 inches by 8 inches. As far as I'm concerned the very best time to view Ke'e beach is early in the morning. With the sun low in the sky and a stillness in the air there is a subtle magic to be felt.

Overlooking Hanalei

"Overlooking Hanalei", a soft pastel on Hahnemuhle velour paper, by Kenneth Grzesik, 8 inches by 14 inches. Hanalei bay viewed from a distance on a sunny day in May. What else can I say?

Around the Point

"Around the Point", a soft pastel on Hahnemuhle velour paper, by Kenneth Grzesik, 8 inches by 14 inches. Sometimes when I walk the the beach at Moloa'a I go around the point to watch the waves wash against the rocks. In the winter months it's a good place spot whales.

Looking Down

"Looking Down", a soft pastel by Kenneth Grzesik, 10 inches by 8 inches. This is one of the first pastel images of Kauai that I made. It depicts one of my favorite locations on the island where I love to stand on a hot day and feel a cool breeze.

Bali Hai Stillness

"Bali Hai Stillness", a soft pastel on Hahnemuhle velour paper, by Kenneth Grzesik, 8 inches by 14 inches. A calmness on the land that can be felt in the soul.

Bali Hai Reclection

"Bali Hai Reflection", a soft pastel on Hahnemuhle velour paper, by Kenneth Grzesik, 16 inches by 6.25 inches. I remember a morning I drove up to the north shore. The air was warm and still. There was a low tide. Walking the beach I watched the clouds floating in from the sea. Upon looking down spotting Bali Hai reflected in a pool of water with bits of coral breaking the surface, I smiled.

Near Bali Hai

"Near Bali Hai", a soft pastel on Hahnemuhle velour paper, by Kenneth Grzesik, 8 inches by 14 inches. Near Bali Hai the volcanic origins of the island of Kauai are quite evident.

North Shore Breeze

"North Shore Breeze", a soft pastel on Hahnemuhle velour paper, by Kenneth Grzesik, 8 inches by 14 inches. When I'm on the north shore of Kauai sometimes I'll just sit on the beach and watch the breeze blow through the palm trees considering it time well spent.

NaPali Daydream

"NaPali Daydream", a soft pastel on Arches paper, by Kenneth Grzesik, 9 inches by 20 inches. When I'm not on Kauai hardly a day goes by without thoughts of the NaPali coast.

Hanakapi'ai Daydream

"Hanakapi'ai Daydream", a soft pastel on Arches paper, by Kenneth Grzesik, 14 inches by 20 inches. This image evolved over a prolonged period of time. It started on Kauai when I was staying at the green shack in Anahola. I remember working on every day for weeks and never getting the results I wanted. During that period of time I hiked to Hanakapi'ai several times with the idea of storing the feelings in my mind. Multiple layers of pigment were applied and fixed. Gradually the emotions were transfered to the paper. It was a labor of love.

Hanakapi'ai Beach View

"Hanakapi'ai Beach View", a soft pastel on Hahnemule velour paper, by Kenneth Grzesik, 10 inches by 8 inches. The afternoon sun highlights the contours of the Na Pali coast.

Approaching Hanakapi'ai

"Approaching Hanakapi'ai", a soft pastel on Hahnemuhle velour paper, 9 inches by 14.5 inches. The trail is lush and green as one approaches Hanakapi'ai. Mystical feelings are generated.

Beachrocks

"Beachrocks", a soft pastel on Hahnemule velour paper, by Kenneth Grzesik, 10 inches by 8 inches. Rounded rocks are common along the coastline.

Tulip Tree

"Tulip Tree", a soft pastel on Arches paper, by Kenneth Grzesik, 19 inches by 8 inches. It was on my first morning of being on Kauai. After being gone far too long I had arrived the previous afternoon. In the morning, after pouring a cup of coffee, I wandered the grounds. When I saw the tulip tree highlighted by the sun it felt good to be back.

Sunset Palms

"Sunset Palms", a soft pastel on Hahnemule velour paper, by Kenneth Grzesik, 16 inches by 6 inches. Colors of the sky melt into soft hues as the suns rays move across distant hillsides. The beach sand is still warm from the afternoon's heat at the base of the palm trees.

Princeville Beach Palms

"Princeville Beach Palms", a soft pastel on Hahnemuhle velour paper, by Kenneth Grzesik, 14 inches by 8 inches. As the sun slowly sets Bali Hai can be seen between the palms of Princeville.

Anahola Wave

"Anahola Wave", a soft pastel on Arches paper, by Kenneth Grzesik, 18 inches by 24 inches. It was a sunny Sunday afternoon. After walking on the beach, taking a swim and talking with friends I continued onward. Rounding the sourthern tip of Anahola Bay I paused to watch a wave move across the rocks.

Anahola Lava Rocks

"Anahola Lava Rocks", a soft pastel on Arches paper by Kenneth Grzesik, 13 inches by 24 inches. The lava rocks of Anahola have been washed by countless waves as centuries have receeded into the past.

Approaching a Lava Rock

"Approaching a Lava Rock", a soft pastel on Arches paper, by Kenneth Grzesik, 14 inches by 28 inches. Having spotted an interesting looking lava rock I approached it.

Getting Closer

"Getting Closer", a soft pastel on Arches paper, by Kenneth Grzesik, 14 inches by 20 inches. Walking on the old lava flow got me closer to the rock.

Walking Under the Monkee Pod Tree

"Walking Under the Monkee Pod Tree", a soft pastel on Arches paper, by Kenneth Grzesik, 14 inches by 20 inches, While in a friends orange grove, by the Anahola River, I walked under an old monkee pod tree and stopped to observe the way the late afternoon sun illuminated the outstretched limbs.

A Few More Steps

"A Few More Steps", a soft pastel on Arches paper, by Kenneth Grzesik, 14 inches by 20 inches. After taking a few more steps I stopped to enjoy the view from a slightly different perspective.

Six Pastels

What I have here is a group of six soft pastels on Hahnamuhle velour paper. Each image is 5 inches by 7 inches. Top Left: "Stream Rocks", Top Right: "Bali Hai", Center Left: "Secret Beach Clouds", Center Right: "Tunnels Beach", Bottom Left "In the Garden", Bottom Right: Tradewinds.

Na Pali Trail Views

"Na Pali Trail Views", a soft pastel on Fabriano Tiziano paper, by Kenneth Grzesik, 12 inches by 11 inches. While hiking along the trail I enjoyed these views of an ancient volcanic outcropping.

Bali Hai Views

"Bali Hai View", a soft pastel on Fabriano Tiziano paper, by Kenneth Grzesik, 12 inches by 11 inches. This binary image presents two views of one of the predominant landmarks on the northshore of Kauai.

Northshore Triad

"Northshore Triad", soft pastel on Fabriano Tiziano paper, by Kenneth Grzesik, 17.25 inches by 18 inches. This image composit dates back to when I stayed in a small green shack in the Anahola Valley. At the time I was toying with the notion of juxtaposing images to express feelings or ideas in a way similar to the way words can be juxtaposed in poetry or music.

Roads End View

"Roads End View", a soft pastel on Hahnemuhle velour paper, by Kenneth Grzesik, 14 inches by 4.25 inches. Walking out on the reef at the end of the road will provide a beautiful view of Ke'e palms.

Tunnels Beach

"Tunnels Beach", a soft pastel on Fabriano Tiziano paper, by Kenneth Grzesik, 12 inches by 4.25 inches. The hard coral reef comes right up to the beach in places.

Tunnels Beach View

"Tunnels Beach View", a soft pastel on Fabriano Tiziano paper, by Kenneth Grzesik, 12 inches by 4.25 inches. The northshore landmark called Bali Hai can be seen while enjoying the morning sun at Tunnels Beach.

Koke'e Trees

"Koke'e Trees", a soft pastel on Fabriano Tiziano paper, by Kenneth Grzesik, 12 inches by 4.25 inches. Koke'e tree tops are laced with delicate red blossoms.

Trees of Koke'e

"Trees of Koke'e", a soft pastel on Fabriano Tiziano paper, by Kenneth Grzesik, 12 inches by 4.25 inches. Highlighted by the early morning sun mist swirl above the trees of Koke'e.

Kalalau Valley

"Kalalau Valley", a soft pastel on Fabriano Tiziano paper, by Kenneth Grzesik, 12 inches by 4.25 inches. From the top of the island the Kalalau Valley lies below.