A Good Day
by Rose Marie Gooding
Waimanalo School students now have a calm and soothing mural with a theme of "A Good Day" to help them relax during lunch. This new mural of the ocean off Waimanalo joins the first one which shows Waimanalo from the mountains to the sea (April issue of the Waimanalo News). Both murals were created as part of the 70th anniversary of Waimanalo School. This second mural was finished at 9:30 pm, the night before the anniversary--just in time.
Patrick Ching, a Waimanalo resident and artist, through the Artists in the School Program, created the mural of Waimanalo Bay. Made to compliment the first mural depicting the mountains and land, "A Good Day" was designed to be a pleasure to look at, a stress reliever, something to help the mind relax.
"A Good Day" looks out to sea from our beach, showing off-shore islands, monk seals, turtles, whales, a pueo, sea birds, even the iron wood trees and naupaka along the beach. This pristine view of our Waimanalo Bay has perhaps not been seen for years, but hopefully, will return again some day.
Gail Teshima's 7th and 8th grade classes, along with Jeff Pagay, helped the artist with this 10 panel work of art, using acrylic paints. Patrick Ching found working with the student volunteers was very rewarding, saying, "I can relate to the rascal kids because I was one too."
Patrick Ching's artistic interests are varied. Much of his work results from commissions, such as his current project of creating a 5 x 100 foot mural for the Salt Lake library. He has illustrated many books and has published four coloring books for children featuring Hawaiian animals. Recently, the University of Hawaii Press published his new book on Hawaiian Monk Seals. He uses his part time job with Fish and Wildlife Service going to remote Hawaiian islands working with monk seals to sketch and take photographs for his artistic endeavors.
Waimanalo School's Gail Teshima hopes that more murals can be created for Waimanalo School next year, perhaps for the band room wall and the courts. Patrick Ching appears to be agreeable, he said he would "love to do more of the same."