At Wailea Contemporary Gallery, we are proud to represent artists whose work reflects both personal mastery and a deep connection to place. Painter and co-owner Kari McCarthy brings both to the gallery—an accomplished artist whose study of color and light reveals Maui’s beauty in fresh, unexpected ways.
A Journey in Color
Kari’s path to painting did not begin with a traditional art education. Her early career in graphic design first sparked a fascination with color—specifically how it could be shifted and manipulated in print. This curiosity led her to study with Dick Nelson, a noted student of Josef Albers, whose Interaction of Color course became a turning point.
“Dick Nelson is the reason I am a painter, and why I paint the way I do,” Kari explains. Under his mentorship, she developed not only a technical understanding of color but also a creative philosophy rooted in careful observation and harmony.
That foundation would lead her away from the fixed notions of “grass is green” or “the sky is blue.” Instead, her landscapes are shaped by a nuanced awareness of how color shifts with light and atmosphere.
Inspired by Maui’s Light and Landscape
Kari lives and works in Kula, where daily views of the West Maui Mountains, cloud-draped valleys, and ocean expanses offer constant inspiration.
“The views from Kula are partly responsible for me painting landscapes,” she shares. “Not a day goes by that I don’t see some cool weather phenomenon that I find intriguing—veiled mountains, pink clouds reflected on the ocean, or backlit atmosphere that turns peach at sunset.”
These moments drive her to dissect the complex colors and light values of each scene. She works with a limited palette—two yellows, two reds, two blues, plus white—mixing her colors before ever picking up a brush.
“Studying color causes you to see differently,” Kari says. “All of Albers’ lessons in visual phenomena can be found in nature. Colors exist in harmony because they’re unified by the color temperature of the light.”
From Seeing to Feeling
Over time, Kari’s focus has deepened. While skies over the ocean and the shifting color of distant rain remain central to her work, she’s become increasingly drawn to the subtle moods within those moments. Her recent paintings aren’t just about capturing the scene—they’re about conveying the sensation it leaves behind.
“I’ll start with a large seascape,” she says, “and realize I’m drawn to one specific detail—the color of the sky against the water, or the edge of a cloud catching light. I’ll make a new painting to explore that alone." These smaller studies have become a way of listening more closely. She’s not trying to amplify nature, but to follow it—quietly, patiently, and with trust in its subtlety.
The result is a body of work that remains grounded in the visible world, but invites the viewer to engage on an emotional level. There’s a quiet spaciousness in her paintings. A restraint. And within that space, something deeper begins to take shape—not just the external landscape, but the feeling of being present within it.
An Artist’s Process and Philosophy
Kari’s paintings begin not with broad strokes, but with a careful translation of nature’s palette. She blocks in the lightest values first, covering the full canvas quickly to establish a sense of atmosphere and energy. “My hope is that viewers feel something,” she says. “To be moved in some way. Just feeling calm is good—we all need a little calm in our lives.”
That calm and subtlety are hallmarks of her work. While the colors may be bold or muted, they always serve a larger emotional vision: to encourage viewers to see the world—and its fleeting moments of beauty—with fresh eyes.
A Gallery Rooted in Community
As both an artist and co-owner of Wailea Contemporary Gallery, Kari draws on her creative background to support the gallery’s mission. She believes her understanding of the artistic process helps her connect visitors with the works they encounter.
“I think being an artist makes me better equipped to help viewers access the works in the gallery,” she explains. “Understanding the artistic processes behind the works helps create understanding.”
Since its beginning, Wailea Contemporary has focused on showcasing works that reflect the spirit of Hawaiʻi while embracing a wide range of contemporary voices. “We’ve all grown with the gallery, staying true to what we do best,” Kari reflects. “Having a space to showcase the art we love is fun. Seeing it get better is exciting.”
Art as a Bridge Between Observation and Emotion
For Kari, painting is not just about capturing a scene. It’s about creating a bridge—between the outer world of light and landscape, and the inner world of feeling and reflection.
Her work invites viewers to move beyond passive observation. By focusing attention on subtle color shifts, changing skies, and quiet horizons, Kari encourages a deeper engagement with the beauty of nature and the emotions it can stir.
Rather than prescribing what to feel, her paintings offer a spaciousness where each viewer can bring their own experiences and interpretations. “Every color choice, every value, is meant to stay true to what first drew me to the scene,” she says. “That honesty is what allows viewers to connect in their own way.”
Continuing the Dialogue
Kari continues to explore the nuances of color and light in her Kula studio and remains passionate about sharing that vision—both through her paintings and her role at Wailea Contemporary Gallery.
Her work serves not only as a personal meditation on nature’s beauty but as an ongoing invitation for others to slow down, observe, and find meaning in the quiet transitions that surround us every day.