The Blue Sea Artisans Gallery featured artists for the month of October are polymer clay artist Barbara Hanson and watercolor artist Nicolina Rinaldi.
During October, Hanson is celebrating her 30th anniversary as a polymer clay artist. She is self taught and started this intricate art, working with polymer clay, while she was a student at Humboldt State University earning her elementary school teaching credentials. In 1991, Hanson moved to Kona and started a successful business Omodt Art Designs. She was a resident artist for 18 years at the Kona Village Resort and had her own gallery at the King Kamehameha Mall. Hanson’s inspiration comes from Hawaiian culture and her family, and her goal is to create unique polymer clay jewelry and art that is fun to wear and reminiscent of time spent in Hawaii. She continues to expand her polymer clay jewelry series, which now features useful and decorative utensils and clocks.
The process of Hanson’s intricate designs made with polymer clay is through “cane working.” This involves layering multiple colors and shapes of clay to produce a cylinder (or cane) in which the pattern runs through the length. Once the cane is built, she reduces and elongates it. Next, she slices the cane horizontally, each slice showing the built design, then low fires her pieces. Finally, she creates unique, one of a kind pieces of art out of her designed polymer clay slices.
Rinaldi has been painting throughout her life and was actively involved in art galleries and juried art shows in her native Ohio. In 1992, Rinaldi moved to the Big Island and immersed herself painting in watercolors. Her work shows her acute perception coupled with a unique application of color to create detailed paintings. Rinaldi was a member of the Kona Art Center and the Kailua Village Artists. She is now featuring her work at the Blue Sea Artisans.
The Blue Sea Artisans Gallery is located in the Kona International Market, 74-5533 Luhia Street in Kailua-Kona. The gallery is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, call 329-8000.