Where Halawa Valley ends. In a deep, remote valley on Molokai, a series of waterfalls cascades in stages from the highest peaks in Kamakou Preserve, winds through the valley floor and ultimately joins the sea. It’s a decent hike to the falls once permission to cross private property has been obtained. As many things in remote places, one must ask around until a way is found. The people I used to know passed away or moved on. I will never forget the roar of the waterfalls, the cooling water and sweltering jungle. There’s a presence in the valley that words fail, but that is the reason to travel. To find the places we can barely imagine and plant them firmly in our memories. It’s worth whatever effort it requires.

I paint in the studio from photographs that I take while exploring the places I’ve lived and relay on memory when the photographs are sub par to improve the color and capture more of what our eyes see in the nuances of color in the shadows and highlights.

The original 44×60″ painting hangs in a yoga studio in Australia.