🌺 Aloha!: This Week in Art #3

Welcome back to This Week in Art, a weekly run down of times during the week when I found art and felt a little more inspired. This week feels particularly special as it will include a lot of inspiration gathered on my recent trip to Hawaii.

That little coffee pot that’s always there to greet you on an airplane. I’ve always been kind of mesmerized by planes and the things that we are capable of achieving while FLYING THROUGH THE AIR. My personal favorite is the little metal coffee pot. It’s always one of the first things you see when you board and he’s going to be there to say bye as you disembark. I’ve only recently become an inflight coffee drinker (typically more of a coke or ginger ale girly) but it’s always good to know he’s there when I need him.

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Window mural in the Oakland airport. I should have taken a note of the artist, but do not have it. I’m always interested to see the art in various airports. Airports are often full of art and with good reason. By the end of this travel day, I’d been in four different airports and it’s nice to have something different to look at between the monotony of plane rides.

Continuing Daily Pages. I went through a period where I loved watching cartoons and drawing things from them as I watched. I remembered this during a moment of boredom on a flight and remembered Southwest usually has a couple recent episodes of “The Simpsons” as an offering. I hadn’t used colored pencils in years but after discovering this untouched box at home, I’ve been really enjoying them.

Display of student art in the Honolulu Airpot. There are few things I love more than an exhibit of student art. The Honolulu airport features a huge exhibit (probably 30-50 pieces) spanning across a foot bridge as you walk toward baggage claim. It’s such a warm way to be greeted by a new place. “Don’t have a good day, have a great day.”

Another love of mine - a holiday display. The more DIY the better. This one was spotted in the Honolulu airport.

The very specific blue of the Blue Hawaiian cocktail. During the pandemic, I got heavy into the Sloppy Boys cocktail podcast and this was one I found a real love for. I made a couple at home but this was the first time I’d been out and actually ordered one. And in Hawaii no less!! You’d think mixing blue curaçao with various fruit juices would create a pretty unappetizing visual in the color department but I honestly love it so much.

The art of the Hawaiian Sun cans. I was chugging the local beverage, in particular their Lychee Green Tea. Their cans are so colorful and since have made several appearances in my journal and daily pages.

Tour of the Aulani Resort Art. An incredible amount of information packed into a forty-five minute tour! We were able to attend early in our stay and having context for some of the work made our trip so much richer. The guide was incredible and recognized us later in the week, taking a few moments to talk and ask if we had anymore questions that came up during our stay. Free for guests and not to be missed if you’re ever there!

The Aulani Resort lobby. There’s something enchanting about crossing through a space so grand anytime you enter or exit.

Getting to meet some Duffy and Friends Characters! For those uninitiated, Duffy and his OG friend, Shellie Mae, were introduced in the US Disney parks some years back and were not very popular. HOWEVER, one introduced in the Japan market (a land of we need no context, give us cute) they were huge! I’ve always dreamed of going to the Japanese parks and it was such an exciting opportunity to get to meet some of those characters while visiting Aulani.

Malasada Cuties at Leonard’s Bakery. See previous. I love mascots. I love cute stuff. Need I say more?

Also not to be missed - the gorgeous vintage Leonard’s sign.

In other sign news - a few characters spotted in the window of Bailey’s Antiques.

And of course, the interior of Bailey’s Antiques. A treasure trove of florals and surf vibes. The guy behind the counter was regaling patrons with stories of the time Jimmy Buffett came through.

More mascot goodness from 88 Tees. Opened in 1988, this surf inspired t-shirt shop has spent decades making cute tees featuring their character Yaya and her whole cast of friends. I got to speak to the owner and designer and she was so lovely and tickled by how much people enjoy her shop and designs. My sister knew about this spot because the owner’s daughter was a on a season of “Terrace House!”

My first ever açaí bowl! It looks so instragram-able for a moment and the second you start eating it its a big bowl of mush. There’s a metaphor in there somewhere.

Making my cute little outfits and adding some character. If you’ve been here before you know, I love making my cute little outfits. I love an occasion. I love a theme. I eat that stuff up. One thing that’s fun about being at a hotel where there are characters is how easy it is to tailor an outfit to meeting a certain furry friend. Your in your room, Shellie Mae is going to be out in twenty minutes, why not wow her with some vintage Lilly Pulitzer?!

The Hawaiian Railway Society Toy Train Museum. One of my favorite things we did was ride the Hawaiian Railway Society train, but before boarding we were urged to visit their museum, a small room with the most detailed model train display I’d ever seen.

Mickey Shaped POG Shaved Ice. At the beginning of the year, I made a vision board on Pinterest and quickly added about ten pictures of this sweet icy goodness. Manifestation works!!!!

Al Phillips, The Cleaner. Grade A Neon Goodness. Need to know if Al gave this title to himself or was it bestowed on him in some sort of secret cleaner’s ritual.

Kusama Pumpkin Sighting!! The second time within the past year that my sister and I have been together and just happened upon a Kusama Pumpkin (the first being in Kensington Park). Truly magical stuff!

Aulani before sunrise. Each morning, I would get up and go down to get myself coffee. One thing I miss the most about Hawaii is these views and those quiet moments. I make sure to give myself similar morning magic at home but man. I know its a pool. I know a Lazy river isn’t nature. But still, I could look at that forever.

Mosaic behind the Southwest counter in the Honolulu airport. Warm colors forever.

Winning video poker hand. Our layover left us with a little inspo only Vegas can provide.