Emma Howard Studio2 Textile/Surface Designer located in most isolated land mass on Earth

Ahupua'a block printed design Kahala Sportswear

2009-07-09T18:33:00.000-07:00

Original art commissioned by Kahala Sportwear. The colors were toned down from these ocean blues to more muted shades to go with shorts and pants for the printed fabric.

Hand carved vintage homemade surfboard turned into block print

2009-07-06T20:31:00.000-07:00

I took this photograph today of this surf board inside Kahala Sportswear store.It's on display to show customers that the shirts in their line are all from an artist's studio.

Kahala products each have a story and this piece literally tells a story:

An abandoned handmade surfboard left on beach for days.

I carried it home after watching for 2 days to see if owner would claim it.

Stripped the duct tape, resin and fiberglass off of it .(Original board shown here)

Took my tracing paper layout and copied the art onto this board using graphite.

Carved images.

Inked board.

Printed image onto paper many, many times (10 + times )to get the perfect one.

Gave art to Dale Hope who sent it to Japan to be printed onto 3000 yards of fabric.

Thank you,

Emma

Aloha shirt in Kahala Sportswear store window

2009-07-06T20:25:00.000-07:00

"Skills" aloha shirt in front window of Kahala Sportswear store at Ala Moana Shopping Center, Honolulu, Hawaii.

The hand carved blocks for this print shown a few posts earlier.

Rare vintage sap green,black and white silk shirt in bamboo print

2009-06-29T23:00:00.000-07:00

This shirt is beautifully constructed with hand made silk frogs. The pattern maker used 3 yards or more to create this engineered print that flows not only across the front of shirt but the collar matches in a seamless fashion.

I am in awe of the single needle construction and timeless beauty of this bamboo print.It is a breath taking shirt that gave a man many happy moments while he wore this to events; it is not an every day shirt and would have been taken out of his closet for special times

Seen here in my profile picture also.

Thank you for looking at this shirt with me!

Emma

13 endangered species from Hawaiian Islands on 1 Aloha Shirt

2009-06-28T14:14:00.001-07:00

Casual elegance in Japanese Plantation Camp in Hawaiian Islands

2009-06-16T11:04:00.001-07:00

This image is one of the most beautiful family/house scenes that I have ever come across.

Bamboo growing in background.

Banana plants in foreground

Clean thatched roof with beautiful lines.

Bamboo wall erected perfectly.

Beautiful young mother holding her child with blouse open,showing that she may have just nursed him.

HOW magazine,May Issue on Hand rendered art

2009-06-12T23:44:00.000-07:00

"Print It Yourself"

"...Printing by hand is all the rage in design, and you can tap into the trend with our step-by-step instructions for 3 cool projects you can do yourself. It’s the perfect excuse to walk away from your computer and get ink on your fingers..."

http://www.howdesign.com/currentissue/

Honolulu Star Bulletin article on Workshop by Nadine Kam

2009-06-12T23:07:00.001-07:00

http://www.starbulletin.com/features/20090611_workshop_to_focus_on_textile_design.html www.starbulletin.com > Features >
Workshop to focus on textile design

By Nadine Kam

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Jun 11, 2009
(Single Page View) | Return to Paginated View

Artist and textile designer Emma Howard will be teaching "How to Turn Your Art Into an Aloha Shirt Print Design" during a weekend workshop June 19-21 at Studio Be, 63 N. Beretania St.

She will give a step-by-step demonstration from drawing to posting finished art with color chips on a presentation board that can be printed industrially overseas onto 3,000 yards of fabric, or as few as 300 yards by a local silk-screener.

Howard hand-paints her designs, or uses Japanese and European chisels to carve blocks made from found objects in her textile designs for apparel and accessory companies in Hawaii and abroad.

She's worked on projects for Kahala Sportswear, Maui Jim Sunglasses, TheBus and Handivan drivers, Patagonia, Iolani, Reyn Spooner and Kendall Jackson Wine, to name a few.

She's worked on motifs featuring Hawaii's endangered species; ocean-life themes such as canoes, surfers and fish; and land-based concepts, such as flowers and coconut palms. More of her designs can be viewed online at emmahowardstudio2.blogspot.com.

An instructional session will take place 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. June 19, during which Howard will tell participants how to prepare for the workshop, which runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 20-21. The cost is $250.

In addition, Dale Hope, author of "The Aloha Shirt: Spirit of the Islands" and art director for Kahala Sportswear, will start the workshop with a presentation on Hawaii's apparel industry. He will also answer questions from artists.

To register, call 692-6727 or e-mail emmahowardstudio@yahoo.com.

Workshop article Honolulu Advertiser announcement

2009-06-12T22:52:00.000-07:00

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20090612/LIFE/906120323/Quick-change+Miche+bags+a+snap

By Paula Rath
Advertiser Staff Writer

Turn your ART into a TEXTILE

If you've ever wanted to see your art on someone's back, here's an opportunity to learn how to design a textile print using paper, pencil and paint.

Emma Howard, a Kailua-based textile designer, will teach a small group a step-by-step approach, from drawing to finished art, 5 to 8 p.m. June 19 and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 20 and 21 at a Chinatown studio. Participants will walk away with color chips on a presentation board that can be printed industrially overseas.

Howard has designed textiles for Kahala, TheBus, Dole Plantation and Reyn Spooner, to name just a few.

Students will also hear Dale Hope, author of "The Aloha Shirt: Spirit of the Islands" speak about Hawai'i's apparel industry.

Cost: $250. To register, contact Emma Howard at 692-6727 or emmahowardstudio@yahoo.com.

Tiare flowers picked on my morning stroll in Lanikai,Oahu

2009-06-11T09:54:00.000-07:00

A favorite flower seen on many aloha shirts,fine art canvases and behind the ears of people who love the fragrance.

Wikipedia:

"... The first acceptable scientific name for the plant was based on Tahitian specimens collected by Jules Dumont d'Urville in 1824. Hence the scientific name of Gardenia taitensis, and the English name of Tahitian Gardenia..."

Lanikai art studio has aloha shirt yardage blowing in ocean breeze

2009-06-04T09:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I drove to Honolulu to Kahala's office to pick up a brown envelope containing these 5 pieces of fabric that are shown on the clothes line here.Each one is in a different colorway of same design.

"Skills" Kahala Sportswear motifs include:

outrigger canoe
fishing beach shacks
fishing canoe paddler
surfers
canoe paddles
coconut palm trees
man climbing coconut palm tree

Many hours of carving by hand with my chisels and printed by hand .Background texture from my former Kailua concrete studio floor.

Hanging on clothes line in small ("tiny baby" to quote my 3 year old grandson, Ryder Storm) Lanikai art studio courtyard are the 5 different colorways ,blowing in ocean breeze, for this design; Navy and white,green and white,grey and white,green with brown and white, blue with navy and white.

Aloha,

Emma

"How To Turn Your Art Into An Aloha Shirt Print Design" workshop

2009-05-31T23:22:00.000-07:00

Leticia Ojeda of Office of Hawaiian Affairs connected me with "Studio Be" in Chinatown, Honolulu which is run by Moana Aluli Meyer, to hold this workshop in.

On Friday, June 19, Dale Hope,art director for Kahala Sportswear, will start off the first day of workshop by speaking to the artists about the apparel industry,illustrated throughout his book, The Aloha Shirt,spirit of the islands.

It will continue for next 2 days.

Contact me emmahowardstudio@yahoo.com with any questions and to register. Seating is very limited.

On Sunday, Robert Jackson, owner of Island Traditions, will speak about process of having yardage printed.

Thank you.,

Emma

Na Oiwi Olino,(People Seeking Wisdom), Radio Show AM940

2009-05-31T15:30:00.000-07:00

OHA/Office of Hawaiian Affairs' radio show,"Na Oiwi Olino", http://am940hawaii.com/ to interview Emma Howard to discuss her work as textile artist/designer in Hawaii,using Polynesian images as references.

Emma will be calling from the parking lot of Kailua Beach Park on Hawaiian Island of Oahu.

Let's hope that there are some waves breaking along the shoreline for great background sound effects.

Please join us.

Aloha,

Emma

Pepi Wine 100% silk Aloha Shirt with surfers

2009-05-28T09:22:00.000-07:00

A casual surf print on 100% silk for Kendall Jackson's Pepi Wine brand.We used all of Pepi's colors on a muted yellow ground and their surfboard logo.

Motifs:
Pepi Surf Board Logo
Coconut palm trees
pareo flowers
Surfers wearing pareo shorts
Surfboards
Pepi wine glasses
Guitar Player and girl sitting under surf shack in center of print

The surf shack image was taken from a photograph that I took of an impromptu shack that had been constructed with coconut palm fronds and found pieces of wood.

Robert Jackson of Island Traditions manufactured the silk shirt.

Though silk, it's a very casual .

Aloha from Kailua,

Emma

Fish Nets,Fish Hooks,Malolo and Blue Fin Tuna Aloha Shirt in process

2009-05-20T10:06:00.000-07:00

The finished shirt for sale at Kahala store at Ala Moana Shopping Center.

"HawaIIan Style Magazine" features aloha shirts

2009-04-20T09:48:00.000-07:00

Hawaiian Style Magazine

On the Hanger
Kahala
Written by Aviva Mayers
December 27, 2007
Wearing Their Passion On Their Sleeves

"The cotton nylon board shorts, washed and tumbled to give them a soft worn look, are new. Their designs are hand painted and textured. One design, a primitive-looking bluefin tuna, was block-printed by hand, the background taken from the artist's studio cement floor. Another included a background of coconut trees, textured from a coconut husk that washed ashore. "That's different from other wild and youth-inspired board shorts that are generally computer-driven art," says Hope."

..."Emma Howard, one of the artists who works closely with Hope, does all her work for Kahala by hand. Each motif is unique, even if repeated. Howard's studio—a former carport near the beach, where she can hear the ocean and feel the wind— overlooks palm trees and plumerias, which have inspired some of her designs. "Almost everything I use is found," she says. "When I'm walking my dog on the beach I look for things."

Items that have been floating for weeks or months and return to land are used in her prints. "I found a really old broken surfboard that was hand-made," she says. "It was held together with duct tape and I dragged it home. I used an electric drill instrument to carve into the Styrofoam, and produced four block prints. I've also carved old boogie boards, vintage windsurfers. I use my surroundings like a cement wall as background texture which I paint and press paper onto it."

Sometimes she wears a jeweler's visor, which magnifies every brush stroke and allows her to lose herself in the paint. "I was painting a wave from behind and I got motion sickness," She grins. So much of herself goes into each design that sometimes she gets stage fright when she brings it to Kahala."

Dale Hope meets couple from Japan who wear Patagonia prints

2009-04-15T22:20:00.000-07:00

Dale Hope,author of The Aloha Shirt,Spirit Of The Islands, just sent me this photograph after meeting Hideyuki and Nina Endo of Japan. They're wearing 2 prints that we collaborated on while Dale directed the Pataloha line for Patagonia.

Hideyuki works for Beams Plus, a very prestigious retail clothing store in Japan.

Aloha shirts and dresses bring the world closer together, without a doubt!

Aloha,

Emma

"KAHALUU" Kahala Sportswear Aloha Shirt

2009-04-02T18:56:00.001-07:00

Using chisels I hand carved an old surfboard in my rustic studio to create this Kahala print. It was inspired by Kahaluu banana farmers whose products are sold in the Kailua Farmers' Market on Thursday mornings between 9am-10am.

See you at the market!

Aloha,

Emma

yellowfin tuna in printed in blue on Chocolate Ground--Kahala Sportswear

2009-04-02T18:34:00.000-07:00

Primitive yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) were hand carved with chisels in my studio; printed in blue inks onto a textured chocolate ground taken from concrete for Kahala Sportswear.

Check out the information that the Monterey Bay Aquarium has on the yellowfin tuna:
"A 200-pound yellowfin tuna can swim steadily at 23 miles per hour."

Aloha,

Emma

Tom Ogawa,wears " Ahupua'a" , A Kahala Aloha Shirt

2009-01-14T17:44:00.000-08:00

I was parking my car outside Hawaiian Graphics and Lighting Concepts when I saw the owner of Lighting Concepts, Tom Ogawa, wearing this current Kahala shirt .

Ahupua'a was hand designed here in my Kailua studio where the outrigger canoes with paddler ,loyal tiny dog,tiare flowers,(Tahitian Gardenias)and big leaves were hand carved . It is currently being sold at the new Kahala store on second floor in Ala Moana shopping center.

Aloha from Kailua Beach,

Emma

Maui Jim Sunglasses Surf Shirt

2009-01-08T05:49:00.001-08:00

Collaborating with the creative team at Maui Jim Sunglasses, the Master design was hand painted in gouache,using 3 shades of blue paint .This charcoal palette was the second colorway.

I like the texture of this jacquard weave.giving the art a lot of dimension.

Each coconut shell button has 2 tiny palm trees carved into it.

Images to look for:

palm trees
big wave with surfer
plumeria blossoms and leaves
Samoan woodcut images shown vertically and horizontally
logo,Maui Jim, was hand painted also.

I scanned in a portion of my own shirt from their women's line shown here on their site under accessories.

Aloha,

Emma

City and County of Honolulu--The Bus/Handi Van Aloha shirts

2008-12-09T20:46:00.000-08:00

Spring 2008 was when the new aloha shirts were delivered for The Bus and Handivan drivers.Robert Jackson of Island Traditions manufactured this uniform.

This design was hand drawn/painted using gouache in khaki colors with black and white accents.

Check out their site for bus schedules!

Aloha from Kailua,

Emma

Hawaii Conservation Alliance aloha shirt

2008-09-12T00:47:00.000-07:00

February 2008 I collaborated with the Hawaii Conservation Alliance to create their new aloha shirt using endangered species from the Hawaiian Islands.

Using a small chisel, I hand carved wood to create the tapa designs that were printed onto the paper by hand after he rest of design was hand painted using 2 shades of blue in gouache paint . The tapa background was hand textured behind the land,air and ocean endangered species listed here:

Kamehameha Butterfly
Yellow Finned Goat Fish
Hawaiian Tree Snail
Silversword with blossoms
Hawaiian Damselfly
Nanu, Gardenia Brighamii
Lehua Blossom
Auku'u,Black-Crowned Night Heron
Sea Turtle,Honu
Nene,Hawaiian Goose
Newell's Shearwater bird
Hawaiian Monk Seal
Happy Face Spider

"The Hawai‘i Conservation Alliance (HCA) is a cooperative partnership of 16 government, education and non-profit organizations that are strongly committed to environmental conservation in the Hawaiian Islands through land management, scholarly research and financial incentives."

Aloha and good evening from Kailua, Oahu where this Auku'u bird lives,

Emma

Maui Jim Sunglasses pouch/cleaning cloth

2008-08-15T21:22:00.000-07:00

The print for Maui Jim Sunglasses pouch/cleaning cloth features an outrigger canoe,hibiscus flowers,banana leaves, grass shack with palm trees,islands with mountains and bird of paradise flowers.

We used images that would bring a sense of Hawaii's natural elements.

Good Evening from Kailua,

Emma

blockprinted fish 100% cotton broadcloth Aloha Shirt

2008-06-09T09:18:00.000-07:00

Hand drawn ,then hand carved sports fish that were block printed onto paper in my studio in Kailua and then printed overseas onto 3,000 yards of 100% cotton broadcloth for Kahala's aloha shirt line.

At the Ala Moana Shopping Center,2nd level next to Nordstrom's in the Kahala store you can see this shirt hanging under the beautiful table in the center of the store where Kahala's aloha shirts are displayed.

Aloha from Kailua,

Emma

South Seas Aloha Shirt Print Kahala Sportswear

2008-04-12T09:28:00.001-07:00

Pikake Lei,Hibiscus,Plumeria,Banana Leaves with a Tahitian motif in background for Kahala Sportswear, an older design.

Reyn Spooner Golf Aloha Shirt

2008-04-09T11:10:00.000-07:00

In 2000, Roy Lowry,then art director, commissioned me to design and paint this aloha shirt for Reyn Spooner .

Pataloha /Patagonia shirt

2008-04-06T16:41:00.000-07:00

A retro floral print for an older Patagonia print.

Kahala Sportswear,Honolulu, Hawaii -- fish print

2008-04-05T14:16:00.000-07:00

This design has been re-printed by Kahala Sportswear. The sportsfish were painted in gouache with pen and ink. The background was watercolor and colored pencil.

Surf Hawaii kitchenware

2008-04-05T14:12:00.000-07:00

A Hong Kong company commissioned me to paint this image for their client's kitchenware line featuring Hawaiian surf looks with a retro feel.

AMPCO Parking Systems parking lot employees Aloha Shirt Uniforms

2008-04-05T10:24:00.000-07:00

Dulce Magdamit,Wilfredo Felipe,Bertoldo Orola and Lorie May Orola work at 55 Merchant Street, Honolulu, Hawaii parking garage. We shared some laughs especially when they told me that I still had to pay my $1.75 parking fee.

Workshop "How To Turn Your Art Into An Aloha Shirt Print Design"

2008-04-04T11:06:00.000-07:00

I will be teaching an April workshop to artists,date to be announced when 3 artists have signed up .

Call 261-0957

Kailua ,Oahu bed & breakfast Mural

2008-04-03T23:04:00.000-07:00

Bed and Breakfast pool side mural painted in acrylics with sealer.The colors in plumerias match pool tiles. There are very small hula dancers in scenes painted in tonal to ground.

pencil drawings with hand painted croques

2008-04-03T16:56:00.000-07:00

Pencil drawings and hand painted art commissioned by Kahala Sportswear for aloha shirts a few years ago.

border print Iolani

2008-04-03T16:38:00.000-07:00

This 60" high border print was designed with a side to side repeat for Iolani's women's line.

Pareo Print 100% cotton Kahala

2008-04-03T16:26:00.000-07:00

The pareo print used in the background of this picture is actually a very small print for an aloha shirt that Kahala commissioned me to create.

The silk shirt that is being worn by myself is vintage silk with bamboo and a favorite of mine.

Folding Screen with Diamond Head

2008-04-03T16:16:00.000-07:00

This folding screen was painted using muted colors that were intended to blend in with the surroundings.

Folding Screen

2008-04-03T16:02:00.000-07:00

The Lei Seller aloha shirt was fun to design / paint and popular for awhile so I painted a version of the woman selling leis onto this folding screen.

Tahitian Birds Aloha Shirt

2008-03-31T23:24:00.000-07:00

An older Kahala Sportswear design with old French design painted in tonal to ground color.

Large banana leaves with Bird of Paradise flowers and palm fronds.

Block Print for Kahala Sportswear

2007-10-03T19:49:00.000-07:00

Dale Hope found a scrap of this fabric on the floor after the sewers had cut the patterns for aloha shirts for "Makau".

The block print was created with hand carved wood and linoleum.

Flying fish,Tuna,ancient Hawaiian fish hooks over fish nets.

In stores April 9, 2008.

Aloha,

Emma

"Ahupua'a" new Kahala Sportswear Aloha Shirt 100% cotton broadcloth

2007-10-02T16:06:00.000-07:00

Aloha Shirts/Dresses for Dole Plantation,Waihiawa,Oahu

2007-08-04T16:53:00.000-07:00

On January 21, 1813 Francisco de Paula y Marin planted pineapples for King Kamehameha I.

It is thought that pineapple was brought in the 1700s on a Spanish ship carrying the fruit on board for it's sailors who "accidently" introduced it to Hawaii.

James Dole established the Hawaiian Pineapple Company in 1901 on the same property that I met with the management of Dole Plantion to design this print. They needed a new print to wear and to sell in their retail store on the property in another colorway.

"The Hawaiian Islands and the Story of the PINEAPPLE" by Isabel N Young ,A.M., 6th printing,1939:

Pinepple Plantations

"Twenty-two months after the plants are put into the ground many fields produce 30 tons of fruit and 100 tons of plant vegetation or 260,000 pounds per acre.Comparison of these figures with the production of other plants shows a remarkable soil production..."

" The workers live in small attractive cottages.Each cottage has it's own yard,where there are cocoanut palms,avocado pear,banana and papaya trees, as well as small vegetable gardens.Doctors,dental care and hospitalization are supplied free of charge; then there are the churches,banks,motion pictures and recreational centers.The schools are under the direction of the Territorial Board of Education.Each plantation is a small town in itself."

In 1968 when I was 17 years old, I was hired to work at the Dole Cannery in Honolulu as a pineapple trimmer. I was assigned a locker and given a tour of the plant and then rode the bus back to my sister's apartment on Ena Road. My boyfriend,Chip Cherry, told me that we would never see each other if I worked at night so I quit my job with Dole before starting it.

This aloha shirt/dress print was in a way to re-connect with the company after nearly 38 years.

One of my favorite ways to eat pineapple:

Pineapple Freezie(tastes just like sorbet)

Ingredients:
Frozen Pineapple cut into vertical pieces
Champion Juicer with "blank" plate on

Directions:
Homogenize frozen pineapple in the Champion Juicer and serve in bowls for dessert

Using frozen peeled bananas gives it an ice cream flavor and texture.

Nothing but pure fruit in this dessert.I'm going to start looking for ripe pineapples to freeze after this!

If you ever go to the Dole Plantation in Wahiawa on Oahu,please check out this print! I drove through flooded roads one day and was 2 hours late for a meeting with Dole.There is a lot going on behind these white plumerias and golden pineapples!

Aloha from Kailua ,

Emma

Kahala Sportswear,"Tropical Birds",100% silk Aloha Shirt

2007-06-20T14:37:00.000-07:00

"Tropical Birds" was created under the direction of Dale Hope who wanted a floral design with some open space.

This simple design has the leaves and flowers of the Bird of Paradise plant as well as a fern on a cream colored silk background. The fern is olive green with the leaves and part of flowers painted in a blue-green all in gouache paint.This design was printed on a cream ground and a black ground with the cream being the color of the original Master design that I painted.

A simple silk floral design that can be worn with slacks or jeans.I am so pleased with this work!

Aloha.
Emma

Patagonia organic cotton print designed in Kailua,Oahu

2007-06-07T23:24:00.000-07:00

Two men are paddling an outrigger canoe in the surf with coconut palm trees in the scenes.One of the men is wearing a hat made from the palm fronds/leaves of the coconut tree.

This shirt is shown in Patagonia's summer 2007 catalog with their other organic cotton Pataloha shirts.

It was a fun print to draw and paint!

Aloha,

Emma

"Sweet Ride Shores" Kahala Sportswear men's aloha shirts & women's pants

2007-03-31T10:11:00.001-07:00

It was decided that I would design a print with hula girls wearing sombreros.I included cactus flowers,guitars,parrots,coconut palm trees,surf boards with Aztec symbols and serapes that have every color repeated in their stripes.

The color palette: light,medium & dark blues,white,yellow,gold,red,light , medium olive greens,medium and darker warm browns.

The guitars would have to be the element in this print that I enjoyed painting the most. I love guitar music and the curving shapes are relaxing to paint.

The name "Sweet Ride Shores" came from an article in a 1960s National Geographic magazine about a beach in California where surfers caught sweet rides to shore.Since California is so close to Mexico,it seemed to be a likely name for this conversational print.

I hope that the rides are still as sweet for California surfers!

Aloha,
Emma

"Swingn' Palms" Aloha Shirt print on 100% cotton knit

2007-03-29T23:54:00.000-07:00

The design elements in this print are typical: coconut palm trees,
ocean,flowers and hula girls. What was different about this print is that the hula girls were on the golf course ,one of them holding the flag. Her top is in a coral and white colored pareo print. The flowers in her hair and on her wrist are white,as are the clouds.

The golfer, not shown here, is wearing an aloha shirt in same print as the hula dancer's top. He is also wearing white slacks and saddle oxfords with a lauhala hat on his head.I love his face too!

One of my favorite design techniques is to use a tonal layer beneath the central motif.It is such a thrill to paint around motif or to paint a motif on top of a tonal ground(depending on the colors used).Example shown here is the hula girl holding the flag as she stands in front of large yellow plumeria flowers and leaves on a lighter yellow ground color.Such a beautiful way to add color and design and a technique that has been used since ancient times and now can be generated in a computer program .It's just a fantastic way to bring color and design into this world.

This print did very well in woven cotton for Kahala Sportswear's mens aloha shirts and was made into cotton polo knit shirts in another season.

I saw this shirt being worn in a size XXXL man sitting in a chair. The design was stretched across his broad back,taking the art to a whole new level. It was really a pleasure to see!

Good Evening from Kailua, Oahu,

Emma

Kahala Sportswear aloha shirt

2007-03-25T10:04:00.000-07:00

Chambray blues,warm browns and cream were main colors printed onto smooth rayon for this aloha shirt.Touches of red, yellow and green accented surfers and woody cars throughout design.

Denim jeans and khaki pants were the visual in mind as I designed and hand painted this really fun print.

The Monstera deliciosa leaves ,painted in browns, are a favorite houseplant and tropical yard vine,producing a beautiful cream colored flower and fruit. The fruit's flavor reminds me of bananas and pineapples together. These leaves,actually green, could be growing outside the beach shack that the surfers go to at day's end,maybe giving a cat shelter from the noon day sun .

I wanted the background design to flow into the scenes of each block ; the water that this surfer is on merges into the small tapa/floral print. I loved designing and painting this masculine print that was intended to pay tribute to watermen of Earth's Oceans.

I can hear the waves from Kailua Bay this morning as well as birds singing. The sky is overcast and there is a nice cool breeze moving through this studio where I am painting all day.

Aloha !
Emma Howard

Pataloha 100% organic cotton A L O H A shirt with rock climber ,surfers and fishermen

2007-03-24T10:21:00.000-07:00

Dale Hope had a 3" thick stack of references to use for this print on organic cream colored cotton with blues in sky and ocean. The rock mountains are in light to dark tans.

There is a tiny rock climber wearing a red shirt,light blue shorts and light blue shoes.His pack is cream colored.

My niece, Helena Al-Kubaisi, gave me information on the gear that she and her husband,William, used when they climbed rocks. I looked at countless other photographs of rock climbers in Dale's reference book,online images, magazine photographs and library books.This climber became the man in my life!

The outrigger canoe tucked behind the mountain is an authentic island canoe with a South East Asian spear fisherman.In an old book we found this black and white photograph of rustic canoe and Islander leaning out over water with his right arm raised,ready to spear a fish.

The outrigger canoe just off a tiny coconut palm island is in calm waters with the fisherman seated,holding a tan colored fishing pole.His pants and outrigger are red.

The surfer closest to mountain is wearing red pareo shorts.

We added accents of red to coconut palm tree trunks,outrigger on canoe,surf board of 2nd surfer and rock climber's shirt.

There is one wave in this design that is drawn from the ocean looking towards the land.Drawing it from a photograph of wave from behind created a slight sense of sea sickness for me!

Last year I was in Manoa Valley ,Honolulu,at a shopping center, just having walked out of the soy shop ,when I spotted a man wearing this very shirt. I shared my design process with him .
He graciously told me that he enjoyed wearing this shirt. I walked to my car ,holding my frozen chocolate soy dessert, and knew that it had been a good day.

Aloha from Kailua,

Emma Howard

Pocket Motif for Vintage Surfer silk Shirt

2006-11-27T00:04:00.000-08:00

We measured the pocket of a size Large Kahala shirt before sketching and painting this motif onto paper.

It looked nice when it was completed and hanging in a small clothing shop in Kailua, Oahu where I saw it for sale for first time.

Pakeke,pa'eke,'eke 'eke : Hawaiian for pocket

Aloha from Kailua,where we've had some thunder in last hour,

Emma Howard

Silk Aloha Shirt with vintage surfer

2006-11-08T23:36:00.000-08:00

On page 198 of The Aloha Shirt book by Dale Hope, you'll see the original shirt that was copied from a photograph for Kahala Men's line in silk.

I xeroxed the reference photograph, enlarged it, scanned it into my computer,studied it and finally did copy this image. The pansy flower lei surrounding this surfer is what took so much time to draw and paint. Even after I was sure that it was a good match, I would see one difference and put it back onto table and made the change.

On the pocket of the shirt was a smaller surfer standing up.I'll post this image another time. He was small but complex also.

I really like the red ,pink and reddish van dyke brown in this design ,giving it an unusual and warm color palette. The soft, round elements in water are very easy to look at. The surfer's lei is tossed back as he speeds through the water on his board.

Aloha from Kailua Oahu,Hawaii,

Emma Howard

Dry Brush technique for "Silk Pineapples" printed onto linen fabric

2006-11-07T22:41:00.000-08:00

For "Silk Pineapples" I used different shades of one color with the Master painting being done in muted blues. with 5-6 shades used in the design.

I painted the entire piece of paper with the lightest shade and then used this same background color as part of the motifs, giving the pineapples and their crown of leaves shape. Using a dry brush going from lightest to darkest is how I created this piece.

This technique is one of my favorites to paint. I am relaxed and lose track of time when wearing my jeweler's visor as I work on a piece like this one. I enjoy fine details,having a "tight painting hand".

Originally the art director asked for a pineapple design for silk fabric and wanted to call it "silk Pineapples" for indentification purposes during our communication throughout the process of designing in pencil and then showing a painted sample: color croque.They ended up using this for linen and kept the name anyway.

I never tire of looking at this print. It will always be one of my favorites.

Aloha,

Emma Howard