Kailua Village Artists announces new members

The Kailua Village Artists welcome two new member artists, wire-woven jewelry artist Lisa Haake and nature photographer Whitney Steele.

Haake creates one-of-a-kind sculptural jewelry from woven and hammered sterling silver, copper and gold. Bracelets, necklaces and earrings are intricate hand-woven creations, often featuring accents of fossils, semi-precious stones, ceramic, glass, lava and bone. The designs are inspired by nature, with organic forms and complex woven texture, with either polished or antiqued metalwork. Haake moved to Hawaii six years ago in search of a more grounded life for her family after three decades in the San Francisco Bay area. Haake lives in Holualoa with her family. Jewelry design is Haake’s third career after working as an advertising executive and Montessori elementary school teacher on the mainland.

Steele grew up playing in the streams and creeks in a small farm town in eastern Washington. Her deep, close bond to nature influenced her choice of career and is infused in her artistic vision. Steele has a bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture from Washington State University. She received her first film camera in high school and took photography classes, learning the fundamentals and experiencing the lost art of developing film in a darkroom. She continued taking photography classes and developing herself as an artist.

“My camera and lens provide me tools and nature provides me with paint. While science and technology are my canvas, my artistic view for minute and overlooked details provide me with a story to tell,” she said.

Equipped with a modest DSLR and a complement of lenses, Steele now explores the breathtaking natural world with her camera. “Unlike many of today’s photographers that use digital tools to greatly manipulate their photography, I choose to keep my images as I see them through the lens,” she said. In 2013, Steele and her husband moved to Hawaii Island to explore the vast world of flora.

The Kailua Village Artists Gallery is at 75-5729 Alii Dr. Suite C-110 in Kona Marketplace, across the street from the Kona Inn Shopping Village. The gallery is open 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information, call 329-6653.