Comparing ShangriLa to the Royal Hawaiian Hotel

On my recent trip to Christmas Island, Kirabati I painted in the shade.


On the same trip on Oahu, Hawaii I toured and painted at both Doris Duke's ShangriLa, now a museum, and the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. Both were inspired by the exotic Orient but are as different as day and night. The Royal Hawaiian is a huge structure and the entry is more massive to support the weight of the building resulting in an imposing entrance giving a feeling of darkness and heaviness in the interior while ShangriLa is full of whimsy and light. The smaller home blends in tune the surrounding landscape with the arts of Islamic cultures. The Royal Hawaiian Hotel as I remember it in the early 60's had a male dominance over the landscape before it was hidden by skyscrapers. ShangriLa has a woman's artistry in every detail.