Ha-Arts is on the Big Island of Hawaii, a beautiful destination and home to Betty Jones, author of A Child’s Seasonal Treasury. Her home is located on an acre of fruiting Paradise on the slopes of Hualalai, at a cool 900 foot elevation overlooking green pastures to the ocean. Healing through the arts of painting and writing, gourd carving and gardening, and floating with the fish and sea turtles has proven to be life-saving and awe-inspiring.

Ha-Arts is a place where Nature is Nurture for body, soul and spirit. The breath of life, Ha, merges with your creative energy as you let go of the stresses of life and relax into "Hawaiian Time" in Paradise Found. What you bring by way of art to this place is at the Ha-Art of your Self unfolding gently with joy and wonder. Walking through the garden with the immense Royal Palms and Monkey Pods, the mangos, papayas, and passion fruit (made into lilikoi wine and jam by Murphy Hubbard), are but a few of the delights awaiting you. Do you love sailing or fishing? Ask Murphy to guide you to the water world while on the Big Island, with the list of the best snorkeling beaches in the vicinity. If you want to learn the Ni'ihau method of gourd carving, ask us! If you need the healing art of Hawaiian Lomi-lomi, arrangements can be made to home-deliver healing hands to you on your private lanai. If the garden feeds your soul, feel free to make it your place of Sanctuary to rest, read, write, paint, sing, dance, or weed! We welcome your positive energy in this peaceful place where you feel at home @ Ha-Art!

Our Mission

Our mission is to provide a peaceful respite for Teachers, Therapists, Writers, Artists and all People who love Nature as Nurture to recharge themselves in this healing environment. Bring the tools you need to let your own Ha-Art and Creative Spirit emerge, and allow yourself one week to experience the magic of this Island Paradise with all it's natural wonders. Conveniently located outside the artist's village of Holualoa, the best snorkeling beaches are only 20 minutes away, and day-trips to Volcano National Park, Mauna Kea with its international observatories, and Hawaiian cultural activities are available island-wide. The Kona Airport is 20 minutes from Ha-Arts, and yet you will feel free from the hassle of traffic and airport trauma, coming and going; Aloha awaits your arrival and departure.

Retreats

Education is an art and art is therapy; Teachers and Therapists will find respite and rejuvenation for themselves at Ha-Arts. Collaboration is key to the nurturance of creativity and productivity, which is essential to furthering life-long learning; if you have a small group with a common interests, create a seminar in this peaceful environment known as Ha-Arts.

Do you have a small group of people with a shared interest? Ha-Arts can serve as your accommodation for you and your students or colleagues as your teaching unfolds in this relaxed and peaceful atmosphere. 

There are two rental units available at Ha-Arts, both are like being in a bird's nest!

The upstairs studio has a private entrance from the street level to a large lanai overlooking the garden and pastoral views to the ocean. With a kitchenette, and a spacious room with twin beds and private bathroom, it is an ideal space for a single person or couple.

The "o'hana" also has a private entry past the koi pond, a lovely lanai with magnificent views into the garden and out to sea. A master bedroom with queen size bed, living room, kitchenette, private bathroom and laundry, it is an ideal home-away from home for a couple.

Both units are fully furnished and have Internet access, and it is wonderful to enjoy the senses stirred by Nature in this peaceful setting without any of the reminders of technology.

For Special Retreat Groups (8 people max), the full upstairs with huge covered lanai, gourmet kitchen, large living room, multi-purpose room and crow's nest-office/bedroom are added to the studio and o'hana to maximize the comfort and capacities of Ha-Arts to create space for your Re-Treat.

Gourd Carving

Upon request (and availability of green gourds!), workshops can be arranged for teaching the art of gourd carving in the Ni'ihau method described. Participants will learn the technique and have the opportunity to carve and begin the dying process; Ha-Arts will coordinate with the individual artist to help finish the work needed to complete the gourd and ship it safely, C.O.D.

Gourd carving, "Hawaiian-style" is unique because the imagery is created on a green/living gourd as opposed to a dried gourd. The process is similar to a tattoo, but the dye is added to the interior cavity of the gourd after the imagery is carved on the surface. It takes approximately one month of continual filling of liquid dye before the gourd has absorbed the color(s) and is ready for the outer skin to be scraped clean from the surface; the image is left and there are no carving marks, it's absolutely fascinating!

At Ha-Arts, we grow our own gourds, and will be delighted to help those interested in learning this Hawaiian craft; these drums are at the heart of Hula and Chants, and connect  to Creative Spirit, hands to heart.