Hilo Bay Waimea Pololu Valley Kona South Point Kalapana Puna The Artist The Big Island of Hawaii is made up of five volcanoes: Kohala, Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, Hualalai, and Kilauea. The last three are active, and Kilauea has been so continuously for almost twenty years. When measured from the ocean floor, Mauna Kea, at over 30,000 feet, is the tallest mountain in the world. Mauna Loa, which makes up half of the island, is by far the most massive mountain in the world. A sixth volcano, Loihi Seamount, is even now rising from the ocean floor to the south. The unique geography of this island makes it a host to twelve distinct climate zones, ranging from rain forest to tundra. Stewart Ian Geller is a local photographic artist who represents in a very unique and personal way the beauty and heart of the people and places of the Big Island of Hawaii. Akamai University and the artist hope you enjoy this photographic tour of the Big Island. We ask that you please not use or reproduce these images in any way without permission from the artist. Hilo Bay The sun sinks over Mauna Kea across Hilo Bay. Hilo, after Honolulu, is the second-largest city in the state but its population is only 41,000, and it is still referred to as "Hilo Town." Located on the windward eastside of the island, Hilo receives an average of 131 inches of rainfall a year, making it a lush, tropical, plant-lover's delight. Waimea East of Kona and south of Kohala is the town of Waimea, which is in the heart of paniolo (cowboy) country. Waimea is located within the Parker Ranch the second-largest ranch in the United States. Pololu Valley At the north end of the island is the Kohala District. If you follow the highway north and east, the road ends at the beautiful Pololu Valley lookout. A hike down the valley wall brings you here. This bird watches the surf, perched on one of many ubiquitous stone piles. Kona Kona is the western (leeward) side of the island, and so receives very little rain. Here we find beautiful white sand beaches and great opportunities to snorkel, fish, swim and tan. South Point The windswept and sparsely populated Ka u District brings us to South Point (Ka Lae), the southernmost point in the United States. Near here, you can rest with the sea turtles on the green sand beach at Punaluu. Kalapana Southeast of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, in the Puna District, we find the Kalapana lava flow. This very recent, eight-mile-wide series of flows destroyed the town of Kalapana , along with much surrounding property and homes. Millions of visitors come to the Big Island every year to see the Park and Kalapana. Puna To the southeast is the Puna District, and a bit of old Hawaii. There are very few beaches here but there are miles of lush jungle and breath-taking ocean views. Stewart Ian Geller Stewart Ian Geller was raised in New York City, and has lived in Hawaii since late 1993. He studied art at City College of New York, the State University of New York at New Paltz, and the University of Hawaii at Hilo. For many years, he worked as a potter and developed a neriage technique that consisted of building rings of oxide-stained clays and then throwing the forms. He has also worked in watercolors since 1969. In his paintings, he has always focused on landscapes. Pastels are a recent medium for him. He has been concentrating on Hawaiian landscapes and seascapes in both photographs and pastels, and is particularly fascinated by the interplay of light, mist, and clouds. "I am awestruck at the beauty of God s creation here in Hawaii. It can be imitated, but never duplicated." More recently, he has resumed work as a potter, and has further explored the possibilities of wheel-thrown neriage forms. Colored clays are now applied to the surfaces of vases and closed vessels, or to the insides of open forms, before the throwing process is completed. The forms are later scraped and sanded to bring the colors to the surface. The palette of colors has been greatly expanded. In all the media of his art, he has always attempted to be a component of the process, rather than the controller of it. His desire is to let forces of physics and nature play a major role in the creative process. For him, the very best art is produced by nature, through the interplay of wind, rock, water, and organic growth. He attempts to employ and reflect similar forces in his work. So, in his clay forms, he establishes a set of conditions, and then lets the motion of the wheel and the clay determine the outcome, which is never fully predictable. Allowing the process to surprise him is what delights him most. Mr. Geller presently resides near downtown Hilo, Hawaii.