Aloha! My name is *Kaveri!​ I'm so delighted to bring the soul and spirit of Hawaii and Sonoma Valley to you, as reflected in the vibrant images of my jewel-toned watercolor paintings!
A little about me and my rather amazing life: From birth, I lived 2 ½ blocks from Kailua Bay on the northeastern shore of Oahu with my family.
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White powdery sand, sparkling turquoise ocean, and warm balmy breezes rustling through the palm trees, were the norm. Truly heaven on earth.
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We moved to the Bay Area when I was 4, settling in Napa, when walnuts and prunes were the main crops, before grapes took over! I kid you not...
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Growing up in the valley, I did a bit of college and worked in the wine industry for a while. Fairly uneventful.
​The color started flowing into my life when I moved to a back-to-the-land organic foodie commune on 40 acres in the hills above Oakville. We lived on Dry Creek Road, with the creek flowing through the length of our land. I drove a hunter green '52 Chevy truck! ​
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My mom wanted me to see my roots and bought me a plane to ticket to Hawaii. First stop was Kona, on Big Island.
​As I descended the stairs from the plane to the tarmac, Ia stunning jolt shot up my legs. I felt like I had found "home" for the first time. The feeling was palpable.
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So what'd I do? I bummed around the islands for a few weeks, then hightailed it back to the mainland, sewed up my life there, and moved to Kona, of course.
The magnetic pull could not be denied!
I moved onto 13-acres of watershed land above Captain Cook, at 2200' elevation.
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My partner and I lived off-grid, using alternative energy sources for power and a rain-catchment system for drinking water.
Driving down our road thru coffee plantations at 2200'
​​​​​Without EMFs from electricity, my senses became radically keen to the energies of the Aina (land).​​​​ Imagine living in a bubble, on a volcanic island, in the middle of the ocean, in a remote area of a remote island!​
After 6 years up on the mountain, we moved down the hill to our other property, a botanical wonderland on the outskirts of Kainaliu, Kona. Having electricity and piped-in water was pure luxury!
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​A myriad of exotic tropical plants, trees, fruit and flora, many of them rare, grew on the 1-acre property.​​
The rainy season in Kona was during summer, which provided a humid greenhouse-like environment and mineral-rich volcanic soil. The plants thrived, some growing to Jurassic-sized proportions!
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​It was here that my painting odyssey began. I signed up for my first watercolor painting class with a local artist. By end of class, I came away with a more than decent painting.
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​Gayle, the instructor said, “You have something here, you must keep going." And I did!​​​ Lucky me that such delicious subject matter lived right on our property!​
Gayle, the instructor said, “You have something here, you must keep going." And I did!​​​ Lucky me that such delicious subject matter lived right on our property!​ ​
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We had groves of rare Ornamental Banana and Torch Ginger, aromatic cedar, lychee, royal palm, banyan, wild orchid, monstera, lilikoi, papaya, many varieties of ferns and palms...just to mention a few.​
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All of my major watercolor paintings were created when I lived on this property.
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​​Life in Kona was right out of a storybook, yet, there came a point, after 16 years, that it was time to reintegrate back into California life. Island fever is real.
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​I was invited to live in a quaint cottage in an oak grove on a hilltop overlooking Sonoma Valley.
This was classic wine country, with its rolling hills, a rustic, laid-back vibe, fine wines, sparkling full moons and gourmet cuisine. ​​​My new favorite subject matter was roses!​​
....and, the side yard
​​​The elemental energies I felt living off-grid infused into my paintings, expressing my affinity and kinship with the Aina​
My first watercolor painting!
Gayle, the instructor said, “You have something here, you must keep going." And I did!​​​ Lucky me that such delicious subject matter lived right on our property!​ ​
​
We had groves of rare Ornamental Banana and Torch Ginger, aromatic cedar, lychee, royal palm, banyan, wild orchid, monstera, lilikoi, papaya, many varieties of ferns and palms...just to mention a few.​
​
All of my major watercolor paintings were created when I lived on this property.
​
​​Life in Kona was right out of a storybook, yet, there came a point, after 16 years, that it was time to reintegrate back into California life. Island fever is real.
​
​I was invited to live in a quaint cottage in an oak grove on a hilltop overlooking Sonoma Valley.
This was classic wine country, with its rolling hills, a rustic, laid-back vibe, fine wines, sparkling full moons and gourmet cuisine. ​​​My new favorite subject matter was roses!​​
​​Whenever I'm asked if I miss Hawaii, I say, "OMG, yes, especially the ocean, *sigh* "and the clear skies, oh, and, the warm white sand....and tree-ripened Haden mango, and, and, and….!" I could go on and on!!
The glorious, pastoral Sonoma Valley
My Sanskrit yoga nname, Kaveri, is pronounced "very very Kaveri". It means "bringer of nourishment" in and is also a sacred river in southern India, where I was gifted the name.
