ART & FLEA

Cherry Pop Revue

How did you name the magazine?

Wanted to come up with a fresh, fun, catchy name that had multi-faceted connotations. There are a lot of really great things about cherries, a tasty fruit, a delicious flavor, but locally, if something is cherry, it means it is really nice, special. So, we that had a really nice local touch, yet fun. Pop is such a great versatile word and very trendy: pop art, pop culture, pop star, pop rock, etc. and when something pops it stands out, it catches your attention, it wants to be seen.

How did you come up with the concept of the magazine?

The endeavor is completely altruistic. Always wanted to create a magazine, but for this concept, it really was about how can we help artist get the exposure and recognition they crave and deserve. I saw a singer with a guitar one nite at Bambu 2 and hardly anyone was listening, so few people, and she was really good. I thought it must be hard to have a dream and be talented and feel like why don’t people see how good I am, come to my shows just for me and let me entertain them. I just thought it would be really nice to be able to help local artists that way.

 What types of artist do you like to showcase in the magazine?

We love all artists, but especially those who perform. We want to profile all the dream chasers and help get their name out there to a wider audience. We showcase a lot of underground musicians and found that they are such a supportive and beautiful group of people. How cool to get to know these musicians on a personal level and to help them feel valued and recognized as the talented people they are. We have started to meet a lot of comedians lately and we are thrilled about that. We also have showcased dancers and actors. We are looking to profile more drag queens, dancers, actors, instrumentalists, entertainers of any genre. We also showcase those people or businesses that provide avenues for artists to perform, build skills, and network. We are also looking to incorporate artists like painters, sculptors, etc., because what they do is inspirational, beautiful, and makes people feel happy just like performance artists do.

 Where can you get the magazine?

We are new and still building our distribution sites. We are at various coffee houses, cafes like Fresh Café, salons, all over Oahu, etc. We have a more extensive list at cherrypoprevue.com.

What are you dreams for the future of the magazine and what do you hope for it to accomplish?

The existence of the magazine is a big dream come true, alone. I’d like to see Cherry Pop Revue continue to do good work for the local community and extend out to the other islands so that those musicians and performers can have the same exposure within their communities.  Cherry Pop Revue’s dream for itself is to start to grow in both content and visual aspects, profile a wider genre of music, become a world wide reference to agents, scouts, and national venues as the go-to source for what’s happening in the scene in Hawaii and tap into the talent we have here, because we have really amazing talented people here and if one of them got a call one day from, oh…South by Southwest reps looking to fill a slot for next year’s gathering and they found them through and because of Cherry Pop Revue magazine, then that would just be the Cherry on Top.

Chelsea Iwami

What do you get when you combine Hawaiian and Asian themes in art? The blend of these two worlds inspires Chelsea Iwami to create artwork that creatively portrays the daily experiences of a person living in Hawaii. As a resident of Hawaii, Chelsea is currently juggling between getting her Masters, working three jobs, and finding time to develop her art. As you can imagine, the combination of these three things doesn’t provide a surplus of time to explore the natural beauty of Hawaii. To fill this void, Chelsea relies on her artwork to keep her connected with nature and the simple joys in life. Besides the vivid colors and stylistic techniques, Chelsea describes the main differentiating aspect of her art, “I think that my artwork is a unique combination of stylists realism and graphic imagery. The realism draws people into to something familiar then the graphic and sometimes abstract imagery creates a reflection on deeper meanings and connections.” Another dominant theme in Chelsea’s work is relationships.  The subject matter of her paintings revolves around the interdependence of nature, land, and humans. Simply by looking at Chelsea’s artwork and attention to detail, people will have a greater respect and awareness for the beauty and spirit of nature; all it takes is a little bit of time and a willingness to form a different outlook towards the natural world.

 

How would you describe your art and yourself as an artist?

My art is a combination of Hawaiian and asian themes. A lot of my subject matter is rooted in Hawaiian culture and my experiences of living in Hawaii. The graphic imagery of my art more clearly represents asian influences. 

How does the Hawaiian culture or Hawaii in general play a role in your artwork?

I take a lot of the inspiration for my subjects and themes from Hawaiian culture. Most of the animals that I paint or draw live in Hawaii and have a significant relationship to the land. I am interested in the way that nature, land, and humans all have an interdependence on each other. 

 

What do you strive to create through your art?

Through my art I hope to create a greater awareness to the beauty and spirit of nature. I think that all living things have a power or spirit that can be seen by just taking the time to look and observe. Through my paintings and drawings I hope to give people the opportunity the time to look, observe, feel, and reflect in an environment that may not be able to provide it.

 

What are the main influences of your art?

My art is influenced by my everyday life and experiences of living in Hawaii. I am also interested in the spirit and energy of living things. I’m getting my Masters, working three jobs, and do my art. I am very busy and I constantly reflect on how I am detached from nature and the simple things in life. By making art I reconnect myself with the simple joys of life and the human bond with nature. 

 

How has your artwork evolved over time?

My style and art has been pretty much self-taught. Therefore my artwork and style are constantly evolving. My artwork now is much more deeper in meaning and connections. I am also much more interested in the human relationship with nature. 

 

What are your favorite things to draw and why?

I like to draw animals, especially animals that are pertinent to Hawaii and Hawaiian culture. I specifically enjoy to paint birds and fishes because they are the masters of worlds that are unknown to humans. I also draw human ladies. The ladies that I draw are to represent the paradox of innocence and intimacy. 

 

What sets your artwork apart from others?

I think that my artwork is a unique combination of stylists realism and graphic imagery. The realism draws people into to something familiar then the graphic and sometimes abstract imagery creates a reflection on deeper meanings and connections. 

 

What is one thing that people wouldn?t know about your artwork just from looking at it?

A lot of my artwork comes from my personal experiences. My jobs require that I communicate with people of all ages. These experiences in combination with my own social experiences and observations help spark the inspiration for my pieces. 

(Text by Hannah Latimer)

Abstract Magazine

Created with the intent to provide Hawaiʻi’s up-and-coming designers with a hands on project that teaches the basics of designing for print, Abstract Magazine sets out to capture the aina’s vibrant social scene. When Katie Whitman’s 808 Scene Zine was discontinued in 2010 due to the recession and scheduling conflicts, James Charisma, creative director of Charisma Industries joined forces with designer Raul Soria to re-launch a magazine. Funding was a persistent issue that prevented the magazine from getting off the ground until Matt Heim of Honolulu printing company HonBlue and president of Electric Pencil got on board.

He wanted to establish a workshop that taught Hawaiʻi’s young graphic designers how to create with the finished product in mind to avoid their designs print different than they were intended. When Heim caught wind of Charisma’s magazine idea, the heavens opened and a choir of angels sang as the two realized their projects could both come to fruition in the form of Abstract Magazine. I sat down with Abstract’s editor, James Charisma to get a little more insight into the first issue and what we can look forward to in the future.

Paisley Mares: What is the distribution process?

James Charisma: We have between 50-75 locations. This is our first run so we have to figure out exactly what that number is. But yeah, we leave them over at those locations. It’s a totally free publication. It always will be. And it’s pretty sizeable as far as content goes. It’s 52 pages and I think only eight or nine pages of that are ads. And the rest are—it’s all content.

PM: Can you give a little more information on what Abstract will be like in future issues?

JC: It’ll be a different theme every month and we’re trying to focus more on social themes. So you know like some publications—like we love all the magazines that exist in Hawaii, we’re trying to add to that collective—and so some of them are covering more like current events and things happening, you know, immediately. Some of them have recurring subject matters. And so we thought that a niche that, you know, the magazine could kind of take on is kind of the social events of Hawaii’s culture.

PM: What’s the first issue about?

JC: So for our first issue it’s about First Friday—

PM: Aw yeah, that’s cool.

JC: —in Chinatown. So it’s something that, you know, you’ve got both sides: some people love it and some people hate it, and that’s okay. And we can talk about the historical elements. We can talk about the “where to go for food and drink”. We can talk about the crime in Chinatown. You know? And so it’s a lot of different angles and our idea for the magazine is it kind of presents a even keeled just presentation of it. Kind of like a scientific abstract.

PM: Right. Like an unbiased—

JC: Exactly. So hopefully it unites in an even basis.

PM: Do you guys know what the next issue will be on?

JC: Yes, yes we do but it’s still in development so let me hold off on that if it’s cool. But it will be equally exciting I think. This one—well the phrase that we’re using because right now we have an Instagram contest going on and the phrase is: Hardcore Honolulu. But I can’t say anymore than that.

PM: When’s it coming out?

JC: It’s a quarterly publication so June 1st will be the next one.

(Text by Paisley Mares)

Foreseeable Futures

The future is unpredictable, especially in the music world, but the recent collaboration between vocalist Anna Sachs and guitarist/vocalist Phil Potter, Foreseeable Futures, seems tailored for success. Sharing an affinity for “quieter, acoustic music with a folky twang,” Potter and Sachs strip down some of their favorite songs. Weaving in their own special blend of soothing and unique harmonies, the duo creates sweet and mellow music for everyday listening. Fans of The Lumineers and Kina Grannis won’t be disappointed by the effortless mixture of Sachs’s and Potter’s honey-smooth vocals and acoustic guitar stylings. Although the pair believes “it’s not wise to plan too far ahead these days, because life is dynamic and changes so quickly,” with more new songs on the way and a performance at Art & Flea, the road ahead looks bright for the Foreseeable Futures.

What/who are your musical and non-musical inspirations?

[Phil] Recently I’ve been inspired by bands like The Head and the Heart, Lumineers, and a great duo out of Texas called The Oh Hellos. Their song ‘Cold Is The Night’ has been stuck in my head for at least a week!

 

[Anna]  Phil and I share a lot of the same musical taste, but some classics of mine are Ingrid Michaelson, Kina Grannis, Sia, and Ed Sheeran. Besides those, I love to listen to a wide range of music - from classical to hip-hop to Latin! Each genre of music speaks to a different facet of my life. Ultimately, that’s what music is - a reflection and expression of self.  

 

How did you come up with your name Foreseeable Futures?

We were talking one day about how it’s not wise to plan too far ahead these days, because life is dynamic and changes so quickly. One of us used the phrase ‘foreseeable future’ and we thought back to that conversation when we were looking for a band name. 

 

What is your creative process like?

We spend a lot of time just relaxing and swapping music amongst ourselves, then trying out songs we think might work with our voices. We’re constantly shifting the key of the songs we’re working on to find a range that fits both our voices, as Phil sings in the low range and Anna covers the high octaves. We spend a lot of time coming up with interesting interweaving harmonies for our two voices. 

 

What is your favorite song to perform and what is it about?

[Phil] My favorite song to perform is ‘Down In The Valley’ by The Head and the Heart. Anna’s harmonies when she sings ‘over and over again’ are so creative and unique! 

 

[Anna] I love ‘Hallelujah’ because it is a classic, and for good reason. Every time I sing those lyrics, I feel the power and the raw emotion behind them. Right now, we’ve got some exciting songs we’re working on that I can’t wait to perform!  

 

How do you feel about performing at Art & Flea?

Actually it’s our first time performing at Art & Flea, and we’re very excited! It’s one of our favorite local events to attend, so we’re looking forward to contributing to the inspiring & creative vibe of Art & Flea with our music!

(Text by Joana Yasui)