21 - Say it anyway

Way back in the year 2001 I spent three months on the magical islands of Kauai and Oahu living on a very old classic yacht called ‘wee Eileen’ built by William Fife. It was on the island of Kauai that I began to question the story of ‘Puff The Magic Dragon’. Was it the magic of green hillsides surrounding Hanalei Bay? Do we all have a dragon hiding in the long grass?

My painting has changed recently. The current five paintings I’m working on in July 2025 are a struggle as there is some kind of shift going on. Where are all these little creatures coming from? What do they mean? They feel so childish but I know I must not fight them. I’ve realised the colours must feel as right as the subject.

Aloha to the dragon. This was the first time I heard the word Aloha and I found it so beautiful and meaningful when spoken by the Hawaiian people. It’s a greeting that means hello, how are you.

You put things to the back of your mind for ages and then they want to come back to connect you with your feelings. There was a lot going on in Hawaii for us and it’s too long a story to tell here but I might come back to it in stages, or not. But I think the dragon wanted to say ‘hello’ to me now so I will say ‘Aloha’ to it.