Some of us were in Maui last week. Twenty-five artists participated in the Maui Plein Air Painting Invitational in Hawaii, February 15-23, with a familiar name taking the top prize. 

Randall Sexton won Best in Show and $1,000 in cash, while Colin Page took home the Irvine Museum award; Ken Auster took the Artists’ Choice award; Dave Santillanes won the People’s Choice award; Mike Carroll won the Honor Hawaii, Honor Maui award; Keith Wicks was tapped for the Makana Aloha Foundation award; Jacobus Baas nabbed the Residences at Kapalua Bay award; Pierre Bouret won the Kaanapali Management Company award; Greg LaRock earned the Pacific’O Restaurant award; and Hui Lai Chong won the Pioneer Inn award.


Debra Huse captures a scene in Maui during the invitational event


Mark Brown paints traditional canoes in Maui during the event


An MPAPI participant paints feverishly in the event’s Quick Draw. Photo by Tom Brayton


Randall Sexton accepts his Best in Show award. Sexton will be an instructor at the Plein Air Convention & Expo in Monterey, CA, April 7-11.

Attendee Thomas Jefferson Kitts says it rained during the first part of the competition, but it hardly bothered anyone. The “vog” was more of an issue to some — volcanic smog drifted in from the Big Island and muted the colors. “In truth, the rain was warm and fairly episodic so it didn’t present too much of a problem,” says Kitts. “I always buy a big blue and white umbrella at an Ace Hardware store after I arrive because they almost always have one in stock. And it will cover both me and my easel nicely.” As we can see from the photo. 

A video of the opening of the event’s show, at Village Galleries in Lahaina.


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