Limahuli Gardens and Preserve Draw Botanical Art Week: Meditative Drawing Focus on Plants, for local youth of the Ha’ena community and Limahuli staff, Kaua’i.
By Sam McWilliams
Our Draw Botanical Instructor Sam McWilliams led a Focus on Plants art week for local youth of the Ha’ena community, and the staff of Limahuli Gardens and Preserve, in October 2025.
Invited by Emily Cadez, Limahuli’s Education Coordinator and Community Liaison, Sam and her team of local artist/ tattoo artist/ Botanical Instructor-in-training Kobi Yasutake of Wailua, and assistant Botanical Art student Katie Helmrick, led plant observation and drawing/painting lessons for the community.
Paying attention to our beloved native plants such as Hala, Mamaki and Kalo, we drew in the new Community Education space at Limahuli, and in garden terraces, hillsides and the Lo’i Kalo – Kalo fields. We embraced this opportunity to support Emily’s idea to encourage local youth with artistic skills and aspirations during their fall break, and Lei Wann’s mission, Limahuli’s Director, to always support Limahuli’s staff, docents and community members, by providing purposeful, meditative, relaxing time through drawing, and ongoing relations with their plant communities.
In our week together we:
– taught 10 youths in the morning sessions M-F, and 17 staff members in the afternoons
– provided art materials for all to use
– provided teacher training for our local instructor Kobi Yasutake
– provided a kit of art supplies for Limahuli staff/community to share to continue drawing together
– provided 5 quality kits for dedicated student artists to take home
– provided 2 “kids’ kits” for younger students to take home
– continued to build our wonderful relationships with our Kaua’i communities
Feedback we received:
– “I was especially touched by the youth expressing joyful astonishment at how quickly they applied new drawing skills.” -Adult
– “Wow, Look at me, look at what I can do.” -19 year old
– “I’m glad that I improved so quickly from day one where my work looked like kindergarten.” -13 year old who was very hard on herself day one
– “Sam, Sam, thank you all so much for the art kit. I really love it and I will use it for my whole life.” -10 year old
The youth group was full of very special individuals. We were really moved by their plant and land knowledge, patience, group harmony, kindness, thoughtfulness, playfulness, attention and intelligence. It was a deep gift to spend the week drawing and learning with them.
Staff and local community members were very grateful to have dedicated time to relax and draw together, and want to organize ongoing sessions. It was a bonding and restorative experience, and everyone expressed gratitude for “being given time to draw, to sit, to listen, to learn, to share, and the ease of available supplies.”
This week was very inspiring, and we thank you so much for your support. We are inspired to build on this project in the future as it was a big success for all. One youth called it the best art camp he’s ever been to.
Thank you:
– The Ha’ena community
– Emily, Lei, Krystal, Rachel, Lahela and all the staff of Limahuli for their work, participation, generosity and inclusion.
– Kobi Yasutake and Katie Helmrick for being incredible assistant instructors, and for their generosity of doing it all as volunteers, including their daily travel and airfare/lodging expenses.
– Draw Botanical and Wendy Hollender
– Jane and Laurel Goldsmith
– NTBG
– Funders! Thank you for your donation to make art supplies available for the youth and adults.
Thank you for your trust, your support, and for continuing to build our wonderful plant drawing community together.
May your drawing times be many and often!
May your flower subjects stay fresh!
Mahalo,
Sam
