by Volcano Art Center

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii – Portraits and landscapes are two of the most common subjects explored in fine art, but there is nothing “common” about Volcano Art Center’s newest upcoming show. “The People, The Places,” featuring the exquisite oil and pastel works of artists Vicki Penney-Rohner and Kira Kamamalu Ventrella, debuts this Saturday, June 8, 2013 at the VAC Gallery in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

This extraordinary fine art exhibition kicks off with an opening reception on Saturday, June 8 from 5:00–7:00pm and runs 9:00am–6:00pm daily at the VAC Gallery through Sunday, July 21.

On Sunday, June 9, Vicki will conduct a live painting demonstration from 10:00am–2:00pm, and Kira will join her from 2:00–4:00pm for an Artist Talk. Both events are highly recommended, as they will deeply enrich the gallery experience with insight directly from the artists on their inspiration and technique.

Ili, The Earth’s Skin Is Ocean, pastel on paper by Vicki Penney-Rohner, ($850)

Vicki Penney-Rohner, a 30-year resident of Hawaii, is a widely exhibited American artist who prefers to work on a handful of paintings at once from her home studio in Kailua-Kona. She serves on VAC’s Board of Directors and is a juried member of many organizations including Oil Painters of America, American Impressionist Society, Degas Pastel Society and the Pastel Societies of Colorado and Hawaii. With oils and pastels serving as her media of choice, she considers herself a “realistic impressionist,” working in successive layers on multiple pieces simultaneously, each layer of each piece informing the layer of the next.

“I strive to create a feeling, using light, composition and a layering of color to not just render an image, but to express the mood of my subject,” states Penney-Rohner who uses her own technique to guide her students. In addition to rich history of personal creation, Vicki pays it forward as a public school teacher through the Hawaii State-sponsored grant program, “Artists In The Schools.”

Wahine II, oil on canvas by Kira Kamamalu Ventrella, ($2600)

As one of Penney-Rohner’s most accomplished students, Kira Kamamalu Ventrella has achieved her own artistic success as a Big Island figure painter. Drawing creative inspiration from her Hawaiian ancestry, Kira combines her profound connection with her subject matter with a technique of her own creation using mostly a palette knife and impasto brushes to give her distinctly Polynesian portraiture a signature look.

“With a figure, there is so much to say,” Ventrella says of her work, a sentiment that resonates throughout each emotional, expressive piece. While she credits her early mentors Penney-Rohner and Edwin Kayton, a Firenze Biennale participant, with much of her success, Ventrella has blossomed into a true artist in her own right.

“The Nature of Nature” is free to the public, though park entrance fees apply. For more information, visit www.volcanoartcenter.org or contact the VAC Gallery at (808) 967-7565 or gallery@volcanoartcenter.org.