 Okay, we're back. We're alive on Tuesday morning. This is think take think tech and we are we're talking today with Guy buffet Say it after me. Gee buffet. It's French. Mm-hmm one more time. Gee buffet being a final exam He buffet was born in Paris in 1943 that's like And that's in France by the way. Yeah, it's had a wonderful time Wandering and traveling and painting all over the world Strikes me that, you know travel is broadening. Well, it has been especially so for a Giba Faye I think all his Tahitian Famous Tahitian artwork it and it looks like gogan. I'm sorry. Am I right about that? Am I touching a nerve? Yeah, you can say that okay. I can say that does look like okay, um, but he has Created more iconic Images of waiters. It looks like the 19th century. Can I say that? Well, the way the chefs and waiters are really timeless, you know, I just started beginning of the century until today, you know, so Nothing changed that much in France. Especially at mustaches. Yeah, and and they all were tuxedos and French French restaurant outfits your French restaurant Which was what's the name of the French restaurant in your family are angels? Yeah, angels of Paris. Yeah, actually in France. It was called Syriza. You mean at the angels The House of Angels. Yeah, and and your family ran for many years near the Eiffel Tower They ran that restaurant for about 20 years, I think. Yeah Were there waiters in that restaurant that looked like the waiters in your art? Some of them, yeah You have a lot of restaurant pictures in your portfolio of tons and tons of them Well, you know, that's that's where it started He started with the restaurant and then after that I started working for the champagne Champagne Perrier Jouette, which is the bottle the flower bottle doing branding and art for them Well doing no doing mostly posters and designs for them and then in France posters are an art form Well, yeah, there's still As a promotion with you. This is a promotion. So therefore this opened the doors to many other venues such as you know three stars chefs in France and all over Europe you like food and Well, I like I'm not although I know the best chefs in the world, but Personally, I like I like simple food, you know, I just I mean especially now but I'm very pleased with and what we call a bistro food, you know, not not Not heavy. I don't need you know, of course Okay, you have certain themes we're gonna cover those themes. Anyway, one of those themes is is Hawaii and You know, you spent many years in Hawaii and You have Contributed to Hawaii's art. I must say You know, we have we have people who do art, but not like you you have found Essence of Hawaii isn't that interesting and maybe you have to be a world traveler So the way King Kalakaua was a world traveler to appreciate exactly, you know, that the fundamental Profundity of art anyway You are a dog lover I saw the dogs throughout your work and I wanted to ask you what breed But it seems like you like all the breeds Do me for myself or as a whole I love, you know, all dogs. I'm not Why because Because they always in a good mood and they make me feel good Yeah, yeah, you're always in a good mood, aren't you and if you're not in a good mood, you don't paint, right? That's right. Yes So But painting probably puts you in a good mood because it lets you express the Oh, yeah, I'm always in a good mood. You can ask my girlfriend or my workers Try to be here every day Look up, you know, I was doing something new Every day, you know, I work and another painting something so that keeps me going You have different styles Painting I have which I will show you and it looks like a sort of a pen and ink. It's a French scene That's pen and ink, but then some of the work you've done here It looks more like a gun with it with the lines are not they're not any an ink at all They're they're kind of oily looking. Do you always use the same media? What kind of media do you use? Well, I always use basically watercolors and acrylic But as far as tides, you know, it's obvious, you know, I have a studio in France and what I do in France is different And what I do this is going to be on the final exam. That's right so I have a studio in France. I have a studio in California and then one I don't have one here anymore, but I Used to and I leave the area most of my life actually you can divide my my life in three parts You know one third in France one third in Hawaii and one third in in California So and I'm not cutting all the trips at the I went about four times around the world and I did a lot of projects abroad such as in China and And a lot of times in in Tahiti also and I spent six months in Bora Bora not too long ago doing a new hotel and the island of Bora Bora for the Intercontinental Yeah, the Navy I want to know about the Navy at the Navy the Navy. That's that's how it started, you know I The matter fact I was at I studied art at the both art school of Toulon, which is in the south of France And I was and I joined the Navy when I was 19 19 years old And that's I did I was sent around the world on that for a trip and that's how I first came to Hawaii in in 1922 I was 19 years old and Since I was the artist aboard and I was asked if I could do illustration of the You're the official artist on the ship was sort of official But that was asked to do the illustration for the book that we were going to publish after the trip While I was in Honolulu for the first time I mean because I came twice but it's too long a story, but anyway, I thought we'll just the Navy That's what the first time I came to Hawaii I had we had a show on on the ship a little show on my ship which was anchor right there by Aloha Tower and that's where I met the cook family from Molokai and and Honolulu and they They were very much interested in what I was doing and Then we became friends and they said we really like you to come back to Hawaii Islands, you know, we Will take care of you send you the ticket get your place to stay a car anything you need I mean, I thought it's too good to be true But when I was just discharged from the Navy, you know, I went back to to law That's where I was living at time. That's where you went to art school. That's why I went to art school and so my options where Go back to art school and finish About five more years to go before I get a diploma or go go to Hawaii. So the The opportunity was too too great missed. So I said I better do this. So I decided to come back. So I came back to Hawaii 1963 in November 1960, I would say the rest is history except we're gonna cover it So so Dale Madden how much of what he has said so far. Do you agree with? Just about everything Particularly I'm also a lover of France and so I actually originally fell in love with all of his French Paintings have quite a bit of it down in my house in Indian Wells, California Oh, does that mean you like the French paintings more than some of the other because as a kid growing up in Hawaii You know, you have a I love all The art I've seen and I've seen actually a lot of his work as I also travel a lot amazing how many places he has done amazing art with and Where it's featured you've been partners and promoters Involved in various deals with key and others. I guess it's in in the art world mostly we've done some art together, but When I bought Island Heritage back in the early 1980s, there were some wonderful children. I was from Bob Goodman I told you before the show that my law firm represented Island Heritage and Bob Goodman for many years Amazing. In fact when Geese books are being published my way back when yeah Yeah, and it was in the 70s. Yeah, and they had very long life It was quite remarkable. I wish I could get him to do 21st century version of them so I could take the manuscripts and put it back together with new art, but it's I've known Geese for quite a long time and it was great to meet him years ago and get to know him Also, I know we're gonna cover more but what what is the secret of Geese? Lots of talent You know if I if I if I had that kind of talent I would have been an artist, but I had to go create companies and products what other people's art But he's had a meteoric rise though in this world He's everywhere. He's global and he's been in so many things that appeal to so many people I mean he's found his his artistic niche, but also his niche in the global art world And how do you do that? How do you how do you find a niche in the global art world? I think for Geese been about The markets and like the Napa Valley and obviously comes through as well. You know, yeah, I may say something, you know I think what happened also in about 20 years ago. I started doing plates designs on plates and that was for the champagne company in France and Hostess no, I had we did special place dinner. Okay dinner place and then after that, you know, which was kind of limited Market and then because of it we got contacted by the William Sonoma stores of the US, you know, and they say oh we'd like to To serve Geese plates in all stores So talking about promotion, you know, I get a contract with a company that has 350 stores in the US 25 million customers and catalogs and every month and Here I'm on the cover of most of the catalog and give you for give In a few weeks, you know from being known in Hawaii and California became known nation Why? So a good thing of a promotion like that. It'd be very expensive if you had to do this on your own to promote your name So this we've so the product with the books and with the painting and then you know the posters and all the postcards and there's so many things to have the name around and then that's when the night started to work not only for For Different wineries, but it's hotels whose ships right now. I'm still, you know, and we have a crystal cruises doing Yeah, yeah, that's a good line And then I did the paintings for the the bistro and the restaurants Do you go on the ship? Ship and then we have a talk like we have today and then also maybe a little workshop with the passengers I'm up to do what show them how you show them how you paint. Yeah. Yeah, you show them how they should paint well So anyway, you do need talent you can't paint with us the foundation of it all So that's right, but to finish what you are saying as I said the best of life, you know, that's They'll agree to with me also though daily was born here, but for me the best years of my life We always be when I spent let's say six months Mali and six months in Paris yet before I did that for ten years, you know the best half of the time in France I'm in Hawaii. Yeah, so that's the best you smile when you paint That would make me smile. Yes So here Well, you know, for example, I mean is this we'll look at your argument This is the thing where you have cows wearing little booties I would be smiling if I painted that where you have the the the art fence here on Kapa Hulu Avenue And yeah, and you have the animals from the zoo looking over the fence. I Mean I would smile if I painted that. Well, you have a very crisp sense of Well, I think it's important. It's good for anybody. You don't have to be an artist to have a sense of humor I think you do and they'll do certainly Well, you know, it helps you keep going to live exactly Don't take yourself too seriously. So we have we have two books. I want to show the books Are these both island heritage? Dale, did you publish these? No, no All right Well, you know, you know, you know Okay, yeah, first we got this one fair nights and sunny days. Okay, and Let's see if I can get a good shot of that And and then we have the world of Giba Faye, which is thicker. I haven't had more classical There's drawings everything. So what's the difference between fair nights and sunny days and the world of Giba Faye? well Their nights and sunny days is mostly is all Hawaiian paintings as in the world of Giba Faye you have a different Everything from France to China to Haiti to Hawaii It's broken up in chapter in chapters. Yeah Exactly. Yeah, and we had another one is then publish it was Giba Faye And what I was with island heritage was mostly we did Yeah, I remember that so I'm gonna take a break now gay and Dale But before we do I I wonder if I could ask you for a small personal favor Could you just hold your hands up for the camera? I'd like them to see what your hands look like Those are the hands of an artist. I'm not guilty Thank you gay. Thank you, Dale. We'll be right back after this short break Aloha, my name is Mark Shklav. I am the host of think tech Hawaii's law across the sea program My program airs every other Monday at 1 o'clock on think tech Hawaii Most of my programs deal with my own life and law experience recently. I interviewed Alex Gempel Who I have known for over 30 years about his voyage? Across the sea as a lawyer from Tokyo to Hawaii Those are the type of stories that I like to bring and like to talk about human stories about law and life Aloha Aloha, my name is Becky Samson and I'm the host of it's about time on the think tech Hawaii a digital non-profit organization It's raising public awareness Join us on Wednesday at 2 p.m. Where we talk about real issues Some of the topics will include entrepreneurship health life skills and growing your business Once again, this is Becky Samson on it's about time Wednesday at 2 p.m. On think tech Hawaii. Well, hello Okay, we're here with Giba Faye and Dale Madden and we're gonna spend a little time looking at these paintings The first one on the list is a is a and we'll show it on the screen as a painting of a waiter Of course, you spoke about waiters before and this is called happy anniversary and there are various symbols in there of an anniversary What did you intend to portray in this painting? well What what do you mean? Well, it's a celebration, you know for a birthday and then I put the parrot Because no, yeah, the parrot is why I think he's singing happy birthday to you or something like that, you know The champagne of course the bubbles and the champagne and then and then this is the champagne now is You've worked on this bottle Yeah, yeah, and he's sharing Waiters sharing the the joy of the anniversary that's part of the process. Yeah And he's very French bow tie and everything. Okay That's that's very special. I mean, I I want you to know I'd have any one of these in my house If I had a million billion I would cover my walls with this good. I have nothing against that Okay, here's another one This is called Bastille day on the Champs-Élysées very symbolic very symbolic and You you really love French street scenes. You've painted so many of them. Well, yeah, yeah, this is a famous restaurant on the Champs-Élysées called Fouquets And I don't know if you've been there but Number of times. Yeah and and what you're trying to demonstrate the Atmosphere of a French restaurant at the very center of French culture the Champs-Élysées Yeah, but you know, I mean this is this is This is a restaurant, but it's also a brasserie a cafe everything you know You know, the French people love to be outside on the terrace, you know and sidewalk For their cocktails So it this is about cocktail time on the Champs-Élysées And this is you see all the flags because it's Bastille day so Bastille day celebration. Yeah, that's right very important French holiday Uh, what is it? We ate kettles I thought we ate Thank you. Yeah, you should have corrected me Now were you there? I mean were you painting there in the kitchen in the in the bar in the kitchen? Okay Let's go to the next one Weekend up country with with flashing to Maui now back to Maui up country Maui And it's you like waterfalls. I see waterfalls in a lot of your work And a little house and the people are so charming the people are so convivial And they always are in your paintings of Hawaii, you know Yeah, again, like I said, this is not a specific place but It's just want to capture the spirit of Hawaii and This is you know a day in the country You can see they all get together for Ordering she has a new baby and she wants to show the new baby to her sister or cousins It's a it's every day We gain up country Maui Although this is more on the Hannah side because the mountains are quite high here as you know a country You know you're on the slope of a car but yes, it's Some of the little vignettes that I do on the islands. Yes Well, I would say you've been and I'm sure you will agree with me Dale You have incorporated the spirit of Hawaii into your your art I mean you have captured it Not everybody can do that even people even local people can't do that sometimes But you have found the the heart. So you have my opinion Don't you think he also has been able to do that in so many places around the world? I do I agree That's one of the very special talents. Yeah, I'll travel is broadening. Yeah. Yeah Okay, we'll go to the next one Oh, this is is this the one we're using as a background. No, this is another one Hula school on the Hannah coast There's some old waterfalls you get one two three four five waterfalls. Yeah, you really like waterfalls And Hannah you like Hannah Well, I had good friends there in Hannah that I used to visit quite often His name was uh, Carl Landquist I knew Carl very well Carl very well And then I did another painting recently because I don't know if you heard the story. Carl was the manager of the Hannah You can tell you can tell on the same. Yeah. Oh, is it used to be called the hunter ranch up there Or anyway, Carl and his wife Died tragically in car accident Going as a waterfall, you know doing And so I did a painting and this is not the one but I did a painting where I have both of them at the by the waterfall and Because we never found the the car or the body I know just exactly where this fits in my house. Yeah Okay, this one is called ladies of diamond head and actually it's one of my favorites of all the ones that That have been collected for the show Now, why is that why is it one of my favorite ones because it captures Diamond head it captures women of hawaii it captures history of hawaii I mean, this is this is something that isn't necessarily today. It could be in the 19th century just as easily Exactly. Yeah, I did one also but with with dog was called Miss Waikiki But the the dog instead of ladies, I don't feel anything. It's in the book. But anyway, that was that was a fun piece and that's been popular They did a shirt I hope you can appreciate this the women it's they're beautiful. They're the essence of the finest characteristics of hawaii Okay, ladies of diamond head meeting at the rainbow rainbow bridge Cafe, so now we're entering into an examination of how much you like rainbows Rainbows, but what is this one about? Well, you know, this is this is not I don't it's not a Hawaiian Fogtail, but I think it's it's a full folk telling In the u.s. For the water It's kind of universal, but they say when your favorite pets pass away He'd be waiting for you at the rainbow bridge when you oh, yeah They always say that that's right. Yeah, we've lost some pets and it's always the pet is waiting for you at the rainbow bridge My interpretation of the this this legend Weaver Hawaiian background and feeling Perfect. Perfect. And there are pets all kinds of pets Okay, now we get into dogs And I I need interpretation on this one our tropical honeymoon with two two dogs who were like dolled up with With sashes And it's on a bed Yeah, and it's a it's a honeymoon picture. Are there people in this picture or just the dogs Just a dog. I did this painting in in Boa Boa actually Because the island of Boa Boa has more dogs than people And you know the french so And Boa Boa is also the place for honeymoon. So I said, why don't I do two dogs in the honeymoon? It's perfect. You smile it. Yeah. Yeah Do you like Bora Bora or Maria which one? Well, you know, I like Boa Boa because of the Maria is getting too crowded. Yeah a lot of hotels there. Yeah Boa Boa is more remote to the far end. Yeah, I mean, that's beauty And they speak french into heedy. In fact, they don't speak a lot of english. They do know I haven't been there in 20 years Yeah I love your dogs. You have dogs Yeah, we have one. We have one in California and one in They know each other. No, not yet Maybe I I don't really see that It's a cocker and and a Boston terrier Let's let's go to Rue Saint Dominique and Yeah, let's see. Um, wait, wait. He's he's not a vent. He's not a vent. I get that right He's not a vent. Yeah. Yeah, well, that's that's even before because that space I would say in the 1900 and The Rue Saint Dominique as a result as a well known outdoor market every day, you know, you can go there And I used to live in that district What what should we be looking at in this? Is there so much action here? What would you point us to in this place? Well, then of course you you have all the the restaurants the cafes There's more cafes than Then courses or anyway And the market is there a market? Yeah, the market is Is on the other side. Yeah, you have to have a market. Yeah, that's another painting Okay, um late night Close to read the lilas The lila yeah, what is Closeree mean? Closeree is is It's uh You know where you keep your plants in the winter in uh It's an enclosure in enclosure. Yeah. Yeah, okay. And is this uh, is this a restaurant? That's uh, that's a restaurant a very famous restaurant in Paris. It looks famous. It looks elegant actually Yeah, it was Hemingway's favorite When he was in Paris, it's very inviting. It wants me to go to Paris. Yeah Do you think Paris is as elegant as it was as romantic as it was these days? I mean, there have been political changes so far. Yeah, but when this year has been bad year, but uh, you know, we've what happened to Notre Dame Burning and Not the wires, but the protest industry You know key they're taking proposals for modern art For the redecoration of Notre Dame as it is rebuilt. Have you thought about making a proposal? Uh, no, I don't think so. We shouldn't talk you and I don't see what I could do You have a connection with the pope Okay, we have racetrack. This is a perfect Hawaii scene taken out of the 19th century It was so popular under under royalty. Yeah, this is the uh, that was part of the commission by the Hawaii state Is it the archives? Hawaii state foundation for culture Is this in the foundation? So I did I did 12 projects for them and the the film of the project was called Hawaii's Forgotten Places and People That was a commission the racetrack by the state And the racetrack was one of them. I think the other one was the opera house Well, the opera house also very important to start the right next to the judiciary building exactly and then now we've we've dead and uh mark we have Project do something for the eolani palace Based on what I did for the state before the uh The opera house and I think there's one here also in the So you're working on one for eolani palace now? That's that's why we are talking on Okay. Oh gee. I can't hardly wait to see that one Okay, we only have a couple left and this really touched me the chinese ball in mawi No, I think that was in the chinese ball By the chinese merchants of lahina all am hara lulu both in the 1856 At the wedding of king kamehameh the fourth and his bride emma queen emma as it were At the old courthouse on queen street. Ah, it was here. That's right. Yeah What would you like to us to remember about this paper? Well, again, this is this is what we That was the part of this portrait is to You know, this is state foundation in my yeah, but in my own style That means, you know, not just a painting of a building but to bring life to it to bring the spirit of Hawaii like and that so I because you know, I had no idea how people Especially chinese, you know, how they how they play in those days swing, but that's something I came out of my mind, you know, and then uh, you start to see but if you go to the detail this Is Just hanging in the state foundation. Yeah, that's uh, I think it's in all the public buildings Not one in particular. Oh public building. Okay Well, I must say this this really touched me when I saw this I love this one And I know exactly where this would go In my house. Okay, well, we uh Ask uh map can help you on this Okay, then we have a book I guess who are poor Lena Lena. Yeah, what is this with the dancing dog, of course Yeah, well that was the first book that that's all that's about 40 years ago or more um published by island heritage and uh Which I did I did five or six books for island heritage that when uh, we probably printed Or I'm thinking 20 or 25 years. Yeah, so it's out of print now. Yeah, it is But we resurrected it a couple of different times. So now it's a collector's item. Yes. Yeah So where can we get geese paintings? Where can we see them? Where can we tell us the universe of where these paintings are available? Well, it I'm not that Close to I know he's in lajna galleries Here and on the west coast Yeah, it's mostly Lajna gallery in maui Hawaii and Newport beach Otherwise and then also I have a gallery in in napa Napa valley called a dress old gallery and then Hopefully for god But you know that's a total of six galleries which keeps me busy all the time I have one last question I'd like to know about and that is you know, you've been painting a long time Since you were 12 when your parents gave you some paints You know a lot things about me It's easy to find out about you geek. Yeah, you're everywhere So that's a long time And uh, I'd like to know if you would tell me what you know, how your perception of the world and your Um Your painting, you know your involvement your engagement in the art of painting. We heard that the art of painting It's not redundant The art of painting has changed And where are you now? Well, you know At best, you know, I try to stay myself. No, you know, I have a Optimist optimistic look on life and then And like I said, you know I left the islands now, but Hawaii is still in my heart and it will be there forever. So, you know, it shows that spirit of Hawaii and that maybe the The Sense of humor that's probably are you know, very gallic French Thing that let me survive and the only thing I have to know is just keep on going And thank god I have a lot of projects here and not only in Hawaii, but California and in your Well, it's not only that Hawaii is in your heart It's you are in Hawaii's heart You are that's much you are connected. Yeah. Thank you. Yeah Thank you for covering Hawaii. Thank you for including Hawaii um Your your work is really extraordinary and I'm very honored to have you here on the show So Dale can we ask you to close and that means you have a burden Of telling the people, you know, what they should have noticed today What they could have learned today had they listened carefully Um, and what is it about this show that makes it special? Well, I think D is special and as we talked about earlier his work is all over the world Um, and he is focused on so many different special destinations The Champs-Élysées in France, Paris is where he may have gotten started, but he's taken that culture and that lifestyle and concept Many countries all over the world and I think that we In Hawaii I should be grateful, but I love seeing his work when I'm traveling fabulous Well, it sounds like you have found a common denominator among all the places you visited and enjoyed and painted The common denominator, I think has something to do with whimsy And good humor and finding, you know, the best in people and places And you carry that through in every location Which is really speaks volumes. Yeah, I'll stay in it Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Merci bien. Merci. Merci. Thank you so much for coming down