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Art and the Peaceful Warrior

This week I wound up shooting a motion picture project for my son’s martial arts company gym Puu Muay Thai here in Ventura. My wife Donna and I, also had a visit from our close friend, internationally acclaimed fine artist Edem Elesh and his 15 year old son Griffen, who I had not seen in over a decade when he was a teensy little guy playing with Donna’s hair as we visited Edem in his Hollywood digs. Simultaneously, my colleague and friend Robb Havassy, let the world know that Surf Story Vol 2 was headed to print after nearly 6

International Manifesto: A Child’s Game

Marin Havassy is the 6 YO daughter of two talented artists-creatives. Growing up in a world surrounded by art, nature, water, and an increasing immersion in Costa Rican culture, she emotionally and cognitively illustrates a point made to me by Jean-Michel Cousteau awhile ago: “If you want to change the world, begin with a conversation regarding the welfare of our children. Everyone cares about that. This is a conversation which I really want to have with the leaders of the world” This is a thread running through a dialog held in common we experienced, while visiting our ocean ohana this

David Pu’u: Film School Project

I get letters somewhat regularly, as do many of my colleagues, from Film and Art School students who as part of their class assignment lists need to study a Photographer or Film Maker. I take these seriously. Since I get a fair amount of them, I decided to do a blog on the subject. The following excerpt is one I really appreciated as it came from the daughter of someone I went to school with. I am pasting it below with some entertaining and informative links that will give anyone who possesses a moderate amount of effort and ability to

A Thanksgiving Story

A little while ago, at the behest and planning of artist Robb Havassy, I found myself at the home of film maker Bruce Brown. Though I tend to want to keep some aspects of my life private, this is something to share, as it is a story about the power of gratitude. November twenty fourth being the Thanksgiving holiday here in the U.S., it is especially appropriate, as thankfulness is in the heart of a Nation today. This little tale explains how it works, in the lives of my friends. I met Bruce many years ago. He had rang me

Art Show: Ventura

Last night was intriguing. It followed on the heels of a busy day. Robb Havassy rang me on my cel phone as I drove down Ventura Avenue, car loaded with stuff to be part of our joint installation at Michele Chapin’s, Stoneworks Gallery space. “What are you doing?” he asked. “Oh just driving down the Avenue. You?” “Just getting to your gal’s place. The boys from Surf Aid (Randall and Dr Dave) are meeting me there to pick up our stuff for the Benefit tonight. Go there.” “Okay see ya in five.” And on a beautiful Friday afternoon I meandered

A California Opus

Chapter 5 in the California Series. I have not always lived in California. My Dad was going to college on the GI Bill in Milwaukee Wisconsin, at Marquette University. I had never asked him why, being from Hawaii, he chose the Mid West. He met my Mother there. That was where my two Brothers and I were born. We were sick a lot as infants. The family pediatrician had told my parents that our Hawaiian genetics may have been to blame, as we did not tolerate the cold of hard, Midwestern Winter very well. In fact, I ended up in

Robb Havassy: All Access Pass

The spacious meeting hall is filled with the hustle and bustle of the curious, the sage, and the uninitiate, there on invitations from various cognescenti in the Chinese marketing and fashion world, to view a first of it’s kind offering by a new American designer, and Surfing cultural icon, Artist Robb Havassy. The show is the unveiling of the Artist’s Lifestyle and Art based apparel line: Havassy! The seating which wraps around the reflective stage fills, the lights go to spot, the music pumps up, and this video begins to show on the facade at the back of the runway.

Fore

This is number five in the series on Loves. It is actually entitled Four. (Really.) If you understand the play on words with the copy title “Fore”, well then, you “get” Art and Artists. That is a good thing. We like it when people get us. It is why artists do what they do. ART is our love. Robb Havassy just left, after a 30 hour visit. When he had arrived, I was working through a series of images where I had been subtly taken by surprise at how the ocean had sculpted rather unique looking gems my Canon 5DM2

Waterborne

Ours is a watery world. Immersed from the point of our conception, we have an affinity for water. So it comes as no real surprise that many of my closest friends and colleagues are fans of my work, and in turn me of their vision and passion. Greg Huglin, Dick Hoole, Falzon, Davey, Aichner, Havassy, Croci, Koniakowski, Bruce Brown, etc. The list is long of those men whose work fuels my own desire to produce. I met Jack McCoy one evening as I was walking down the beach on the South Shore of Oahu. I was hand holding a little

Savantism

I know who I am. So I recognize those traits that resemble mine, in my colleagues and friends. This creates a deep affinity with those people who I repeatedly refer to as Savants. Check the definition below. savant |saˈvänt; sə-| noun a learned person, esp. a distinguished scientist. See also idiot savant . ORIGIN early 18th cent.: French, literally ‘knowing (person),’ present participle (used as a noun) of savoir. I was pleased and honored when one of those, a certain Sean Davey, showed up at my door in Ventura, California. Sean is a Tasmanian born, Hawaii ensconsed photographer whose work

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