How Maui artist, Ed Lane sees and translates beauty in the world to canvas. "...when I think of the discovery of beauty, it’s about finding the essence of the subject, even if it’s not par- ticularly beautiful on the surface." Published in Hawaiian Style Magazine

1. Artist Portfolio
Ed Lane: Exuberance In Red
It’s Almost Impossible To Paint Hawai‘i Too Vividly,
Says This Joyful Painter
By Claire Morris Dobie
M AUI RESIDENT ED LANE SAYS HE TRIES TO
look at things with a child’s eye, “as
if it’s the first time anyone ever saw a thing
like that.” He has a mantra—or, as he
likes to put it, a meditation—that guides
him: “The discovery of beauty; expression
of delight; and art of exuberance.”
For the past 14 years, Lane has devot-
ed his life to producing art that applies
this joyful philosophy to a wide range of
Hawaiian subjects. In his eyes, landscapes,
portraits, churches, and more are all
brush-worthy. He makes new things famil-
iar, and familiar things new—the founda-
tion of creativity.
“I don’t want to sound metaphysical,”
says Lane, “but when I think of the discov-
ery of beauty, it’s about finding the
essence of the subject, even if it’s not par-
ticularly beautiful on the surface. The
expression of delight is simply the joy I
find in painting, and as far as exuberance,
I put a lot of energy into my work. There
are artists who are truly commercial, who
turn out paintings to sell. I paint what I
want to paint and hope someone wants to
buy it. To my delight, sometimes they do!”
The vibrant tones of Hawai‘i underlie
all of Lane’s paintings—literally. “Every
artist has to find the technique that feels
comfortable,” says Lane. “Some paint
directly on a white canvas. Others use a
mid-tone ‘ground’ or base color, usually a
brown or earth-tone. After several years of
experimenting, I discovered that an
orange-red ground does wonders for pic-
tures of Hawaiian scenes. It’s a cadmium
Lane (top) has crafted his own tech-
nique for ensuring vibrant colors
on his finished canvases. By paint-
ing a base coat of cadmium red
over the entire canvas, he can cre-
ate the brilliant colors that he feels
represent Hawai‘i. This technique is
manifested in several of his paint-
ings such as “The Church at
Kean‘ae,” (left) which depicts an
old Hawai‘i home flanked by taro
fields and groves of palm trees in a
small town on the road to Hana.
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2. Artist Portfolio
“The colors of Hawai‘i are so vivid
and radiant, and the air is so clear,
it’s almost impossible to overstate
that luminous quality on canvas,”
says Lane. “Even if you paint the
most brilliant yellow sky and it’s not
quite so dazzling at the time, the
very next evening at sunset, you will
see exactly that color.”
LEFT: “Mellons”
red, similar to the red dirt of Hawai‘i and
it really works well for landscapes.”
Painting green over the cadmium
red, says Lane “tends to hold the work in
place and give it more life.” He’s discov-
ered a secret method that allows some of
this cadmium red to peek through, giving
the work a touch of sparkle. This tech-
nique is manifested in several of his paint-
ings such as “The Church at Kean‘ae,”
which depicts an old Hawai‘i home
flanked by taro fields and groves of palm
trees in a small town on the road to Hana.
The red fairly leaps from the giclée print
he calls “79 Palms” and is even more evi-
dent in “View from Au‘au Channel,” a
scene of the West Maui mountains caught
in the late afternoon sun.
“The colors of Hawai‘i are so vivid
and radiant, and the air is so clear, it’s
almost impossible to overstate that lumi-
nous quality on canvas,” says Lane. “Even
if you paint the most brilliant yellow sky
and it’s not quite so dazzling at the time,
the very next evening at sunset, you will
see exactly that color.”
He sketches directly on canvas with
charcoal, which he finds easy to erase and
wipe off (or smear for special effects). But
because charcoal is comprised of bits of
carbon, which tend to break up, he adds
a fixative to hold the outline firmly in
place. This becomes what he calls the
skeleton of his work.
“The colors of Hawai‘i are so vivid
and radiant, and the air is so clear,
it’s almost impossible to overstate
that luminous quality on canvas,”
says Lane.
LEFT: One of Lane’s prints titled
“Old Hawaii”.
HAWAIIAN STYLE Vol. 3 No. 4 65

3. Artist Portfolio
LEFT: The red fairly leaps from
the giclée print Lane calls “79
Palms.” The print uses Lane’s
technique of a base coat of cad-
mium red.
While Lane was growing up, his He worked for several agencies after expression of delight.
mother, grandmother, and aunt sur- that, eventually establishing his own shop, When he was granted an art residen-
rounded him with their individual artistic E B Lane and Associates, in Phoenix. He cy in Hungary, sponsored by the
inspirations, so it’s almost inconceivable owned and operated the firm for more Hungarian Intercultural Exchange, he
that he would have chosen anything than 35 years, culling clients such as the thought it would be a challenge to discov-
other than painting as a career. As a child, Arizona Lottery, Motorola, J.C. Penney er beauty there. But, he says, “You would
he loved to draw cartoons and even creat- and Paramount Pictures. be surprised at where beauty can be
ed his own comic books to share with Like many mainland migrants, Lane found. The Hungarians are so culturally
friends. After spending much of his youth and his wife, Diane, a clothing designer, oriented and Budapest architecture is the
studying at the Kansas Art Institute and vacationed in the Islands during the late height of Art Nouveau.”
the William Rockhill Nelson Art Museum ‘70s and discovered its overwhelming Lane speaks passionately about the
in Kansas City, he began serious painting, beauty. They returned many times over Hui No‘eau, a teaching and exhibit cen-
using oils. His ambition then was to study the next several years, visiting each island ter for adults and children in upcountry
in Paris, “but somehow I was diverted with a plan—or a hope—to find just the Maui. He serves on the board of directors
from that goal,” he says. Instead, he right place for a solid art career. The dry, and is particularly proud of the summer
attended the University of Missouri, desert-like climate of Wailea on the south art camp that offers young people a real
majoring in history with a minor in fine side of Maui was their final choice. They emergence in art. His work is displayed
art, followed by two years in the Air Force. bought a condo, then eventually found a in many locales such as the Maui Moons
After completing his military service, three-bedroom home with one room that Gallery in Lahaina.
a funny thing happened to Lane on the offers northern light, making it especially Ed Lane doesn’t think of the three-
way to the art forum. He started writing well suited for an art studio. plus decades he spent in advertising as
copy for an advertising agency in Kansas “I always have two easels set up,” wasted years that he might have devoted
City. Lane beams. “Of course, you can always to painting. After all, he points out, Van
“To land the first job, I just wrote a use a bigger studio but I am so grateful to Gogh and Toulouse Lautrec only painted
bunch of ads and impressed at least one have this space right in my home where I for a short period of their lives. He con-
person at an agency and that’s all it can paint at any time.” cludes, humbly, “There’s still time for me
takes,” he muses. “I used my art to It was Maui that brought out his pas- to make my mark as an artist.”
enhance the storyboards for the copy, of sion for painting landscapes, but he will When he makes that mark, look for it
course, and then I made it to the creative travel in the blink of an eye to find a sub- to be vivid…joyful…and with vibrant
director level.” ject that he can “Lane-ize” with that hints of red.
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