"Hawaiian Blues" Waimanalo Beach

“Hawaiian Blues" Waimanalo Triptych

by Bill Braden 

This painting was intentionally titled “Hawaiian Blues” for the double meaning.  The location of Waimanlo has a large population of native Hawaiian families who were physically, culturally and economically displaced, then relocated to homestead properties here, which are leased to them by a U.S. Federal entity, called the Department of Hawaiian Homelands.  The lyrics to the classic song “Waimanalo Blues” describe this condition more eloquently (not a regular we bar blues, BTW).  The other meaning of course is the colors of Hawaii.  The clear blue sky our here in the middle of the largest ocean in the world is usually punctuated by low flying fair weather cumulus clouds blown onto these windward shores by the constant trade winds.  The turquoise blue water within the protective reef offshore is ruffled by only the smaller waves that can pass over the same reef.  The catamaran boats on the left are shallow draft vessels that, like traditional outriggers and double hauled canoes, are reef and beach evolved.  The fine white sand (middle panel) is also a product of the barrier reef, supposedly mostly created by the uhu, the Hawaiian parrotfish that chew coral and spit out sand!  The right panel shows the grove of ironwood trees that line a large section of Waimanalo Beach, an area known affectionately as “Sherwood Forest.”  Off in the distance are the cliffs of Makapu’u, the beginning of the majestic Koolau Pali, also off shore is “Rabbit Island,” Manana.  Back on the left side, you can see the twin, Mokulua Islands and the Wailea hills that separate Bellows military area from Lanikai (on the other side).