‘Ti and Seas’: Volcano Art Center Gallery to feature Pahoa artist’s oil paintings

Volcano Art Center announces the art exhibit “Ti and Seas” featuring a new collection of oil paintings by Pahoa resident Steve Irvine.

Irvine will share his inspirations and techniques during an opening reception from 5-7 p.m. Feb. 17 at the Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, where the exhibition will be open to the public daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. through March 25.

Born in Los Angeles, Irvine, an avid surfer, came to Hawaii to attend college and in 1983 received a bachelor of arts in liberal studies specializing in fine arts from the University of Hawaii at Hilo. Irvine’s award-winning work has appeared in the annual juried Spring and Fall Arts Exhibit at Wailoa Center and East Hawaii Cultural Center almost every year since 1986 and he had two previous exhibits at the Volcano Art Center in 2004 and 2009.

“His work has always appealed to collectors for its distinctive high quality, use of bright primary colors and affordability,” said VAC Gallery manager Emily C. Weiss. “Stylistically, Irvine’s paintings blend impressionistic principles into a unique form of expressionism. While focusing on the realistic representation of Polynesian ti plants and the ever-changing ocean, Steve’s primary focus for this exhibit is actually on the quality of light present in both subjects.”

In Irvine’s new works, long views and high horizon lines are present, juxtaposed to a magnified focus on the light, shadows and color of the subjects. The subjects appear to contain a glow from within which Irvine achieves by creating a unique orange undercoating as his first layer of paint.

Irvine will share his techniques in an oil painting workshop from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. March 3 at Volcano Art Center’s Ni‘aulani campus in Volcano Village. Basic artistic concepts including color, composition and contrast will be discussed before students embark on their own oil painting.

The class fee is $60 or $55 for VAC members. Class supplies must be provided by the student; a full list will be provided upon registration. To register or for more information, visit www.volcanoartcenter.org or call 967-8222.