David “Kawika” Gallegos will unveil new works and original wood-burned oil paintings during a reception in his honor this evening in Kawaihae.
David “Kawika” Gallegos will unveil new works and original wood-burned oil paintings during a reception in his honor this evening in Kawaihae.
Pupu and refreshments will be served during the 6-8 p.m. event at Harbor Gallery.
Gallegos moved to the Big Island in 1994 from the San Francisco Bay Area, and has been showing at Harbor Gallery since. Originally from the Denver area, he won scholarships in painting and drawing and moved to the West Coast, where he eventually earned his master of fine arts degree from the University of California, San Francisco in 1977. He worked with renowned Tamarind Lithographer Ernest DeSoto and produced pieces for the famous “Art for Peace Project” among other exhibitions from 1978-1990.
His latest technique was inspired by wood burning on a floor in an old mansion in San Francisco. About 15 years ago, he began experimenting with various techniques and different woods, first burning the image into the wood, and then painting many thin glazes of oil paint over the image. The trick is to leave much of the wood grain visible through the painting, which produces an original look that also varies with each piece he transforms, each “wooden canvas” having its own unique characteristics. The wood burning also adds dimension and texture. He calls these his “Wood Burned Oil Paintings.”
Gallegos prefers koa and mango, though he works with other woods. Koa works best with darker, nighttime scenes where he will sometimes dangle a full moon over the water as paddlers push by, and mango, being lighter, suits itself to hula dancers and daytime scenes with tropical reefs and floral compositions. His subjects also range from playful dolphins to his newest foray, embellishing maps of the Hawaiian Islands with symbols of Hawaii like hula dancers, sailing canoes and palm trees.
Harbor Gallery is open 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. daily.
Info: 882-1510, www.harborgallery.biz, gunner@harborgallery.biz.