Edwin Kayton has been painting, drawing and sculpting for over 39 years. He studied at Museum Art School in Portland, Oregon, graduating in 1967. His style, influenced by the works of Rembrandt, Caravaggio and Velasquez, combines their strong use of light and shadow (chiaroscuro) with the bright palette of the Impressionists.
The cultural renaissance in Hawaii, inspired by the voyages of the double-hulled sailing canoe Hokule`a, provides endless subjects for Ed. Frequent interaction with the Hawaiian community has resulted in thousands of reference photographs from which he creates his compositions. Employing a classic style of realism, he faithfully renders the distinctive physical features and sturdy anatomy characteristic of Polynesians.
Ed’s indirect “layered” method of painting is evolving to include the direct “wet-in-wet” approach as taught in David Leffel’s book “An Artist Teaches.” His latest compositions often combine both techniques. Following a marble-sculpting class in Pietrasanta, Italy (1994), he began spending several months each year working amid the artistic treasures of this ancient land. He continues to paint plein air in both Italy and France.
He enjoys a rural lifestyle at his home in the southern district of Ka`u on the Big Island. His favorite quote is “I am still learning” (Michelangelo at age 88).
