Bill Braden's Work - Environmental Interest Series (EIS)
The evolution of the Environmental Interest Series has its origins in “The Best Beaches of Hawaii.” The concept of teaming up with the City and County of Honolulu and showcasing the most magnificent treasures of the state of Hawaii is now a means for this artist’s team to help protect the world we live in. An initial project, now dormant, started by the Nature Conservancy was “The Most Beautiful Places on Earth” series that included sites chosen by the former director of the Coastal Marine Program Atlantic and Pacific, Mr. Chuck Cook. While that project has yet to gain momentum, a separate project collaborating with the Surfrider Foundation, has blossomed with the North Shore Community Land Trust (N.S.C.L.T.) commissioned works. This is The Surfrider Foundation, Oahu chapter, and National Office Project titled Protect Our Surf Sites and Environment (P.O.S.S.E.). The idea is to paint surf sites around the world, publish the images, and thereby promote them as global treasures, much like the “Best Beaches” or the Nature Conservancy collaboration. Like the acronym suggests, P.O.S.S.E. is the gathering together of like- minded individuals and organizations for a common purpose. In the case of the project with N.S.C.L.T., the preservation of the Pupukea Paumalu land includes a group of diverse team members: Trust for Public Lands, the City and County of Honolulu, State and Federal governments, the U.S. Army, and the Freeman Foundation.
With the completion of the purchase and preservation of Pupukea Paumalu, P.O.S.S.E. began a series of paintings of surf sites in Japan, working with Surfrider Foundation Japan. Part of the team’s strategy is to share the story of preserving the Hawaii surf sites success with the people of Japan. This was made possible through a grant from the Freemen Foundation with help from the Pacific Arts Foundation. P.O.S.S.E. is now in the phase of developing plans for other sites. The P.O.S.S.E. guides and team members includes: Edgy Lee (filmmaker), Jim Moriarty (Executive Director Of Surfrider Foundation), Blake Mc Elheny (founder of N.S.C.L.T.), and Masuo Ueda (founder Surfrider Foundation Japan). Bill Braden and his wife, Jinny, welcome your inquiries about our Environmental Interest Series projects. Other pending E.I.S. projects include commissioned works for Haleakala National Park (this image is available of purchase and can be see in the Outer Island Collection on this website), Kalaupapa National Park, Volcano National Park, and the Arizona Memorial through Project Manager and Agent Jamie Gentry. Another one we are looking forward to is a painting of Shark's Cove by request of the Malama Pupukea Waimea Marine Conservation District. A painting of Kawela Bay was also commissioned by N.S.C.L.T. as part of P.O.S.S.E. (this image is also available and can be seen in the North Shore Collection of this website). A painting of Hanauma Bay (the image commissioned for the Visitor's Center) is also part of the Environmental Interest Series. It can be found in the Hanauma Bay and Hawaii Kai Collection of this website, it is titled "E Komo Mai." It is available for purchase as well.
Here is where the individual Environment Interest Series(EIS) images are used:
NSCLT (POSSE) Commissioned Pupukea Paumalu I “Monster Mush”
“Looking Towards Pupukea Paumalu” original oil on canvas. In 2006 the 12” by 36” oil on canvas was presented to the owners of the 1,129 acre property, the Obayashi Corp. in Tokyo, Japan. “When the gift was presented at the same time as a visit to the owner by rock star Jack Johnson, the owners took our efforts seriously for the fist time,” Blake McElhany exec. Dir. NSCLT
NSCLT (POSSE)
Commissioned Pupukea/ Paumalu II
Pupukea/ Paumalu from Sunset Beach
“The North Shore Icon”
This image was used for note cards to thank private donors and participants. Patagonia also distributes T-shirts with the image. A donor at a fund raising event purchased the original (36” X 48” $30,000).
NSCLT (POSSE) Commission
Pupukea/ Paumalu III
This mural scale work was used as a backdrop, to as much as possible “put you there” at fund raisers events with entertainers such as Jack Johnson and Eddie Vetters’s Pearl Jam.
NSCLT (POSSE) Commission Pupukea Paumalu IVPupukea Puamalu from Pipeline
This image was commissioned as an alternative image, but also, how can you leave out Pipeline from a series about the North Shore? These images were commissioned by the NSCLT, North Shore Community Land Trust, to help with the campaign to preserve and protect the undeveloped mountains that are the backdrop to the most famous surf sites, (Sunset Beach, Pipeline, Waimea, etc.) Co-participants include many community groups, City and County of Honolulu, State of Hawaii, Department of Defense, and Trust for Public Lands.
Environmental Award
For the E.I.S. and in particular the North Shore, Pupukea/ Paumalu work Bill and Jinny (Bill Braden Artist Company) were awarded the "John Kelly Environmental Company of the Year Award" from Surfrider Foundation Oahu Chapter in 2009. Details about the award can be found at ww2.surfrider.org/oahu/?page_id=95. We are very pleased to be included on the same perpetual trophy as big name environmental movers as Jack and Kim Johnson, surfing champion Kelly Slater, and many other famous and important people and companies.
