What do you do when your first university art professor tells you, at the age of 18, that you have no talent at all and you should forget about art? If you are Esther Szegedy, you ignore the advice and spend your entire adult life making a living as an artist.
What do you do when your first university art professor tells you, at the age of 18, that you have no talent at all and you should forget about art? If you are Esther Szegedy, you ignore the advice and spend your entire adult life making a living as an artist.
Szegedy, who designed the artwork for this year’s Hilo Orchid Society Show and Sale, left her career as an art therapist in the mainland and came to Hawaii in 1995 to become a children’s book illustrator and cartoonist.
After working with Akiko Masuda on a book titled, “Neil Tofu Luvs Teedah Tuna,” Szegedy moved to South Kona where she said she created “12 paintings on picnic tables by the ocean at the Old Airport in Kailua-Kona and began a career in galleries, starting with the Mauna Lani and Hilton hotels.”
Today, she writes and illustrates stories, has work in galleries islandwide, teaches art and wine classes in Hilo, does animal portrait commissions, and illustrates for other authors.
Dana Culleney, chairwoman of the Hilo Orchid Show, knew that Szegedy would create the perfect design for this show, which takes place June 2-4 at the Edith Kanaka’ole Multi-Purpose Stadium..
“I’ve always loved Esther’s work from the time I first saw it in One Gallery,” Culleney said. “There wasn’t any doubt in my mind who I would ask to do the design for the show.
“I told Esther that the theme was ‘Jewels of the Jungle’ and she made the design. I suggested that she put one of her critters in, since she had an empty spot in the lower right-hand corner.”
Szegedy was happy to paint in one of her trademark cats because, then, she says, “The painting tells more of a story. If it tells a story, or makes you laugh — that’s my work, and I’m grateful to be doing it.”
In addition to the Hilo Orchid Society Show and Sale publicity poster, Szegedy’s design appears on the show’s T-shirts, greeting cards, dish towels and advertising.
For more information about the show, the largest and most comprehensive orchid show and sale in the state, visit www.hiloorchidsociety.org.