Last July, we went to Hawaii for our friends’ wedding and then stayed the week to celebrate my birthday. My sister, who lives in Honolulu, is an amazing hostess and planned a very memorable birthday for me. We hiked up Diamond Head where the park stamp my sketchbook with the “Summit Finisher” stamp. I didn’t finish the sketch of Diamond Head Crater until yesterday (shame on me) though, using reference I photographed while we hiked there.

The 2nd drawing is of Lanikai beach which I did sketch on my birthday. It’s of the mokes (2 islands) and the little reef inbetween where we snorkeled.

The 3rd drawing was drawn at Waimanalo Beach where my husband and I spent the whole day. My sister recommended it as it was quiet and located in a small neighborhood. I saw 2 boats in the sand and thought it would be a fun challenge. The real the challenge, however, was the humidity that made both inking and watercoloring difficult.

The 4th drawing was at the Dole Pineapple Plantation. I learned so much about pineapples. I especially had no idea how they looked out in the wild or the fact there were so many kinds.