Creative Sunshine: Make the Most of Summer as an Artist
From getting outside to see what inspiration nature has to offer, to supporting fellow artists by attending events, there’s so much out there to spark inspiration and create art this summer!
Summer in Maui is a season bursting with beauty, color, and inspiration—making it a perfect time for artists to dive into creative activities. Whether you're recharging your artistic energy or looking for new ways to share your work, here are five fun and meaningful ways to stay creatively engaged this season:
1. Explore Local Art Festivals & Fairs
Nothing jumpstarts inspiration like being surrounded by art in every form! Summer is packed with art fairs, outdoor shows, and community events showcasing talent from all over. These events give you a chance to discover new techniques, meet other creatives, and maybe even find your next favorite piece. Keep an eye out for Maui’s local art happenings—you might just spark a collaboration or find the push to try something new.
2. Join a First Friday or Gallery Opening
If you haven’t explored your local art scene lately, now’s the time. Many towns host “Maui Town Parties” on a Friday night, with the first Friday of the month happening in downtown Wailuku. Studios and creative shops open their doors to the public, the street is closed to traffic, there is live music, food and a festive atmosphere. It’s a great way to take in new work, chat with fellow artists, and support your creative community. And let’s be honest—good food, live music, and great art? Yes, please! And even though we sorely miss our galleries in Lahaina lost to fire, the boho surfing village of Paia is filling much of the artistic gap. Paia is also where you can check out some of Ellen Friel’s artwork in person at Maui Hands gallery.
3. Submit Your Work to a Show or Exhibition
Feeling energized after soaking up so much creativity? Channel that into something of your own. Look for calls for artists or juried exhibitions that align with your style or challenge you to grow. Having a deadline can be a powerful motivator, and showing your work—whether locally or online—is a bold way to share your artistic style.
4. Let the Outdoors Be Your Studio 🌿
Maui’s breathtaking landscapes are a gift—so take advantage of them. Whether you’re sketching at the beach, painting the rainforest, or people-watching in the park, being outside can spark ideas you didn’t know were waiting. Ellen Friel is considered one of Maui’s premier plen aire painters, and emphasizes that stepping away from your workspace for some fresh air and sunshine can do wonders for your focus and mental clarity.
5. Plan Ahead for a Fall or Winter Artist Residency
Summer is also a great time to think about what’s next. Many artist residencies have application deadlines well in advance, so if you’ve ever thought about taking your work to a new place—or giving yourself focused time to explore an idea—start researching now. Residencies offer a rare chance to connect with other creatives, immerse yourself in a new environment, and grow in unexpected ways. Also keep an eye on EllenFriel.com or her Facebook or Instagram pages for tutorials and tips to help artists gain confidence, solve challenges and have fun with the creative process.
✨ No matter how you choose to spend your summer, the season is full of potential. Try something new, revisit what inspires you, and give yourself the gift of time and space to create. The muse is out there—go meet her!
Color Temperature Brief Tutorial
Understanding color temperature, including subtle shifts between colors, helps artists avoid unintended muddy color mixes.
🎨 What Is Color Temperature?
Color temperature is all about where a color sits on the color wheel—and how that affects your mixes. It's a game-changer once you understand it. Many artists first struggle with muddy mixes, but learning about warm and cool versions of each color can help you get clean, vibrant results.
🌈 Key Idea #1: Think Spectrum, Not Wheel
Instead of seeing the color wheel as a rigid chart with solid categories, imagine color as a smooth spectrum. Red isn’t just one color—it fades into orange on one side and purple on the other. This helps you better understand how colors relate and why some mixes work better than others.
🔴 Key Idea #2: Red (and Other Colors) Are Categories
Rather than searching for a “true” red, think of red as a family of related shades. Scarlet, crimson, and alizarin crimson are all reds, but they lean in different directions—some towards orange (warmer), others towards purple (cooler). This applies to all main colors.
🔥 Key Idea #3: Temperature = Where a Color Leans
Temperature refers to whether a color leans more toward warm hues (like red or yellow) or cool ones (like blue or green). For example, a warm red might look slightly orange, while a cool red looks more purplish. This lean affects how your mixes turn out.
🧪 Why Some Color Mixes Turn Muddy
Mixing two primary colors that are close together on the color wheel results in clean, bright secondary colors. For example:
Cool yellow + cool blue = vibrant green
Warm red + warm yellow = bright orange
Cool red + warm blue = rich purple
But mixing colors that are far apart on the wheel can add a “third” color unintentionally. A warm red leans yellowish, so mixing it with a cool blue (which leans greenish) means all three primaries are now in the mix. That’s how you get browns or grays.
🧭 An Easier Way: Use Color Names Instead of "Temperature"
If “warm” and “cool” feels too vague, try calling colors by where they lean. For example:
Warm red = orange-red
Cool red = purple-red
Cool yellow = green-yellow
Warm blue = purple-blue
This makes mixing more predictable:
Orange-red + orange-yellow = clean orange
Green-yellow + green-blue = clean green
Purple-red + purple-blue = clean purple
✏️ A Handy Tip: Draw a Line
Visualize your mixes by drawing a straight line between two colors on the color wheel. If the line is short and stays in the same general color zone, your mix will be clean. If it cuts across a third primary, you’ll likely get a muddier color.
✅ It’s Okay to Mix “Wrong”
Using opposing temperatures isn’t a mistake—it just gives you more neutral or subdued colors. That can be useful! The point of understanding temperature is so you can make informed choices instead of being surprised by muddy results.
🧠 Practical Tips for Artists
Assessing Temperature: When evaluating a color, consider its position on the spectrum to determine its temperature.
Mixing Strategy: Aim to mix colors with similar temperature biases for more harmonious results.
Palette Organization: Arrange your palette to reflect the color spectrum, facilitating intuitive mixing and selection.
By shifting from a rigid color wheel to a fluid spectrum perspective, artists can gain a deeper understanding of color relationships, leading to more dynamic and cohesive artwork.
Interested in plein air painting?
Maui’s plein air painter provides a tip when getting started painting outdoors.
Maui offers an ideal setting for painting outdoors, with its consistently pleasant weather and diverse natural beauty. The term plein air comes from the French phrase meaning "in the open air." Plein air painting involves stepping outside the confines of the studio to create art within the landscape. While the practice has deep historical roots, it gained widespread recognition with the rise of the French Impressionists. These artists were driven by a fascination with natural light and its fleeting variations. Thanks to innovations like portable paint tubes and the early box easel—an ancestor of today’s plein air setups—they were able to take their work out in nature.
Artists, including Ellen Friel, are inspired by the island’s dramatic contrasts—towering volcanic mountains, lush rainforests, vibrant beaches, and the ever-changing hues of the ocean and sky. The quality of light in Hawaii is distinctive, casting unique shadows and tones that shift throughout the day. Whether capturing sunrise over Haleakalā or the golden hour along the coast, painting on location in Maui deepens an artist’s connection to the land and its natural rhythms.
One great tip for someone just starting out with plein air painting? Start simple and focus on capturing light and shapes rather than details.
When you're outside, the light changes quickly, and it's easy to get overwhelmed trying to paint everything you see. Begin with a small canvas or sketchbook, limit your color palette, and try to capture the overall mood or composition instead of getting caught up in fine details. Think of it as a visual impression rather than a perfect replica—just like the Impressionists did!