kauai art | a.ell design & atelier, Kapaa, Kauai, Hawaii

Archive for the ‘kauai art’ Category

May

The Big Swig

The best things happen by accident. On a First Saturday in Kapa’a, when what was supposed to be a big collaborative jam in front of a.ell atelier turned out to be a few, those few played together, musical magic happened, and a band was formed: The Big Swig.

I caught up with the four musicians to find out the backstory on the band that makes everything old new again.

Steven Meredith (washboard percussion and blues harp) has been in seven bands from here to Australia, and is the host of two radio shows on KKCR, Kaua’i Live and Deja Blues. He helped clarify what type of music they play:

“It’s Old Timey music. Music that was pre-genre; before blues or bluegrass. Traditional tunes.” They also play music from the early 1900’s, including Delta-influenced music, Blues, Rag Time, Barrelhouse music, and Western Swing. “It makes you want to move,” he said.

When asked what he enjoys about The Big Swig, he said: “we all share a mutual sense of direction. We love the same music and we have the same agenda…we have fun but we are really well-organized.”

Anni Caporuscio (vocals and kazoo) started playing trumpet when she was ten, has been in Jazz bands, sang in choirs, and even was in a rock band where she sang in Japanese. She claims to “play many instruments poorly.” She said that the thing she loves best about the Big Swig is that they all laugh at the end of each song.

Amy Nelson’s (banjo) best friend told her for years that she should play the banjo. “I played guitar for years but it really wasn’t my thing,” she said. She finally got one, started taking lessons and got hooked. “I blame Matt Morelock for all this music madness!” she said, speaking of her music teacher. The old time music fits her perfectly. “I’ve always been drawn to old-fashioned things: music, clothes, furniture, diners on the side of the road.”

Angelique Ell (fiddle and guitar) started with clarinet and piano at a young age, then played guitar for years, and recently took up the fiddle, also with Matt. Angelique loves being part of the band because the creative camaraderie. “It’s the relationship-building between all of us, the music communication of listening to each other, and when we hit it, it’s such a high.”

For more information, shows, booking, and to contact The Big Swig visit our page at Facebook.com/TheBigSwig

Tags: kapaa art night, kapaa art walk, Kapaa first saturday, kauai band, kauai music, old time music
Posted in kauai art, Kauai Events, Kauai News | No Comments »

Apr

Kaua’i artist John Howard

If you don’t know John Howard, you probably at least know his artwork; the iconic and imaginative animals found on canvas and t-shirts exclusively at a.ell atelier. Check out his Organic Cotton Rooster Tee , a bestseller. When I asked him the story behind his animals, he said a rooster that was in his view while painting one day ended up on his canvas. Weeks later, his neighbor at the time, Laura Wiley, wanted to buy the painting. John explained that she was looking for a present for her husband, Mr. radio personality Ron Wiley. “She had seen the painting and said she wanted to buy it because Ron said the chicken was his aumakua.” After that first sale he decided that every picture that sells he would make a shirt out of it. And so he did. Since the rooster, a goat, a toad and a pig have been birthed as well, and can be found on prints and shirts in a.ell atelier and in his wife Patricia’s yoga studio.

Tags: animal art, art tshirts, John Howard, Kauai artist, kauai organic cotton clothing, organic cotton tee, organic tee kauai, rooster tee
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Feb

The Heavy Metals Collection

Colleen Daly Block has been collecting shells and beach glass for years, roaming the shores of the Big Island of Hawai’i and Kaua’i. One year she created jewelry with her found treasures and gave them as Christmas presents. From there requests were made, and a business was born.

Peace of Kaua’i jewelry started in 2010. Colleen and her husband Joshua collect and snorkel for shells, and Colleen, who is self-taught, designs and create earrings, bracelets, rings and necklaces, which have been a huge hit at the atelier for months now. “Angie’s shop is one of my best sellers,” Colleen said.

Angelique and Colleen recently collaborated to create an exclusive line for the shop, called the “Heavy Metals” Collection. Angelique asked Colleen about the possibility of using Tahitian pearls with sterling silver to create an “edgy” line of jewelry. “I had never thought of Tahitian pearls as edgy before,” Colleen said, but quickly understood and brought the vision to fruition. The Heavy Metals Collection consists of earrings and interlocked bangles made of thick gauge sterling silver and Tahitian pearls.

10% of all Peace of Kaua’i proceeds are donated to the Kaua’i YWCA Sexual Assault Treatment Program. Colleen has worked as a sex assault therapist at the YWCA on Kaua’i since 2009, working with offenders, victims and their family members. Her shell searching on beaches is a way to relieve the stress of her job. ”It’s definitely an outlet for self-care,” she said. “I focus on that and let everything else go.”

Tags: kauai artists, kauai gifts, kauai made jewelry, kauai shopping, local art, sterling silver, tahitian black pearls
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Jan

5 New Year’s resolutions we can all have for 2013

By Lois Ann Ell

I have a rule for making New Year’s resolutions: they have to be exciting and positive; not restricting ones you will most likely break by mid-March. In case you haven’t made any yet, here are five universal ones that we can all embrace this time of year.

1. Make plans. Big ones. Everywhere I go lately I hear my friends telling me their plans to learn to kite board, travel the world, become a teacher, perform onstage, and more. Making plans is a great way to figure out what you want and what makes you happy.

2. Engage in a creative endeavor that makes you happy and pushes you out of your comfort zone. Take a look around many of the items at a. ell atelier—paintings, bikinis, jewelry, bags—most of these successful businesses started from people simply deciding to carve out time doing something they loved. The First Saturday event each month is flocking with musicians, artisans, foodies and more, taking their creativity to the streets.

3. Spend time with the right people. For me, that means more time with family, and working with people who are passionate about helping the community. Luckily I get a two-for-one with this blog, working with my sis and her company.

4. Get smarter. One of the coolest things about being a writer is constantly educating oneself on new topics. Learning new things expands your universe, and with this blog I invite you, readers, learn with me. I will share new exciting info each month on everything from eco-fabric news, to the backstory on your favorite local artist, to trivia questions, giveaways and more.

5. Spend your money wisely. That means buying local, so your money goes back into the island economy. In fact, mention this blog and get 10% off anything in the store, or enter the code NEWYEAR for any online purchases at www.aelldesign.com from now until Jan. 16th. (Excludes previously purchased items, formal wear and fine art.)

Tags: eco clothing, eco sales, hawaii made, hemp clothing, hemp clothing sale, island wear, kauai artists, kauai boutique, kauai made, kauai shopping
Posted in Eco-Friendly Clothing, kauai art, Kauai News, Specials | 2 Comments »

Dec

‘Uno De 50′ – New Jewelry Line From Spain

We are SO excited about this new arrival! Uno De 50 is a jewelry line that is hand made in Spain using the finest cast silver pieces combined with leather and Swarovski Crystal stones. This brand brakes away from existing trends and imposes its own philosophy while it’s designers seriously create objects of beauty and personality. But really it just feels exceptionally exquisite on!