Portrait prints and oil paintings by Tomas Belsky

Moanikeʻala

mixed media
10" x 13"

$500,000

Notes: A rescued print made into a mixed media rendering due to an error during the process that ruined the entire edition of twenty five. I started this picture back in June 2014 and finished one aspect of it on August 6, 2018. * See poem also by Tomas Belsky that accompanies this print of his life partner Moanikeʻala Akaka (1944 - 2017) below.

Footnote to a Portrait 

I promised her many years ago

when she believed a critic who branded me

Hilo’s Picasso

to this day I shudder to hear it.

But the part was comfortable,

so I played it. 

Moani, for her part 

comfortably played the wronged Queen

passing among her Islands

noting well numerous affronts

to her people and aina. 

We grew into the parts we played

or perhaps they consumed us

over the past two score plus years.

I promised her gold

to adorn the delicious nape

but we found the gold

got in the way while navigating the nape,

so the gold was cast asunder,

postponed and forgotten

until now. 

How true: all that glitters is not gold,

And, ku’u ipo, as you well know,

This will have to do

Until the real thing comes along.

Moanikeʻala ʻ99

oil on canvas
38" x 48"

No longer available

A Self-Portrait

block print
7.5" x 4.5" 

no longer available

Self

oil on canvas
12" x 12"

no longer available