KVA’s featured artist for May is Thomas Carey

Humpback Whales - Mother-Calf and Escort by photographer and wood turner Thomas Carey is shown. (Courtesy photo/Special to West Hawaii Today)
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The Kailua Village Artists Gallery’s featured artist for the month of May is award-winning photographer Thomas Carey.

Carey became interested in photography while he was in junior high school in Southern California, just taking pictures of his friends surfing and skateboarding. He would wrap his little Kodak Instamatic camera in plastic to keep the water out. As an adult, living in Ventura, California, he gave up the Instamatic and bought a Nikonos III underwater camera. While diving for lobster, abalone, and scallops and spearfishing with his friends, he would dive with his camera instead of a speargun.

After retiring and moving from California to Hawaii early in 2004, Carey had more time to follow his passion, which is traveling the world to do marine photography. His interests in photography are underwater, marine topside, travel, landscapes, and portraits. His photographs have been featured in publications such as: Skin Diver Magazine, Sportfishing Magazine, Nat Geo Explorer, and California Fish and Game Magazine.

While not diving, Carey enjoys making bowls, vases, and all shapes of wood. He specializes in Hawaiian woods, including koa, mango, norfolk pine, milo, monkeypod, and whatever nature generously provides.

Carey will be working at the gallery on Wednesdays, May 4, 11, 18 and 25, 2022. The gallery is located in the Kona Marketplace and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information call (808) 329-6653 or visit kailuavillageartists.com.