Nick Kuchar Portfolio - Hawaii Vintage inspired Surf Art Travel Prints – Page 2

JuneShine Summer Can Art

Nothing says summer like an ice-cold beverage so let's talk can art! If you recall, I've previously had the opportunity to work with the awesome folks at JuneShine on artwork for several of their hard kombucha flavors. Since creating the artwork for Blood Orange Mint and Honey Ginger Lemon, these kombucha brew masters have been busy coming up with new (and incredibly tasty) flavors.

ANA Hawai'i Capsule Collection

ANA is Japan's largest airline and you might recall that in 2018, they introduced the Flying Honu. As the first Japanese-operated Airbus 380, the Flying Honu brings hundreds of passengers on a direct flight from Japan to Hawai'i. In celebration of their Flying Honu aircraft, which if you don't know is painted like a turtle (or honu in Hawaiian), they came to me to explore some of my favorite things about traveling to the islands.

Parks Project Parklands of Hawaii Tee

“A grove of giant redwood or sequoias should be kept just as we keep a great and beautiful cathedral." - Teddy Roosevelt You didn't think I could write about the National Parks without quoting Teddy Roosevelt did you?! Well just like Teddy, the great folks at the Parks Project believe it's our responsibility to promote, protect, and preserve public lands, which is why every purchase supports conservation projects in our national parks.

Kahala x Nick Kuchar "Mauka" Aloha Shirt Collaboration

We had such a blast working on the the first Kahala shirt, the 'Makai,' that creating a second exclusive design collaboration was a no-brainer. Since we went makai (toward the sea) last time, we felt it was only right to go mauka (toward the mountains) for this one. On the surface, Hawai‘i seems to be known for endless sand beaches, crystal clear water and reefs.

Kaimukī Print for the Historic Hawai’i Foundation

While I usually stick to mountains and beaches, I dove into a piece of town that is certainly worthy of every inch of nostalgia I could draw. I designed this print in collaboration with the Historic Hawaii Foundation. It was fascinating looking through 100 year old photos and learning about the the town's buildings, signage, and place in Honolulu history.

Olukai x Nick Kuchar 'Modern Aloha' Shoe Collection

OluKai is a Hawaiian-inspired footwear company that is constantly innovating around the type of comfy and cozy shoe they bring their people. They make shoes that I actually love to wear, which is saying something for a surf bum whose in and out of sand a lot. It isn't my first time working with OluKai, but this was a very different kind of collaboration with them.

Mapping the Ward Village

Ward Village is a five-mall shopping complex with more than 130 stores, 40 eateries, and a 16-screen theatre in downtown Honolulu. It also happens to be home for hundreds of people. So how do you make cutting edge, LEED certified high-rises feel like a village? You bring people together through arts, culture, community activities, and in this case a delightfully vintage map of all the goodness a village can hold.

Kahala x Nick Kuchar Aloha Shirts

The aloha shirt is about as ubiquitous in Hawaii as the palm tree. Worn by just about everyone, the islands are always craving new takes on an old classic. Or at least that's what I tell myself when I enthusiastically agree to take on an aloha shirt collaboration. And as far as the aloha shirt is concerned, Kahala is legend. Together, we created the new 'Makai' shirt for their 2019 Summer Collection.

Moloka'i-2-O'ahu Race Art

Established in 1997, the Moloka'i-2-O'ahu Paddleboard World Championship is the world's most challenging paddle race. The 32-mile race that begins on the northwest shore of the island of Moloka'i and ends in Maunalua Bay on O'ahu, is known as the fastest downwind route in the world. I was honored to create the art to embody this year's competition.

LeaLea Hydroflask

Shirts, totes, hats, towels...and now hydroflasks! LeaLea is a Japanese travel and merchandising company in love with Hawaii. They asked me to design a kawaii (Japanese for cute) surf scene for their exclusive water bottles. If you've been following my work for a while, you know that surf dudes, dudettes, and doggos are my jam, and this collaboration was no exception.

Queen Kapi'olani Hotel Lobby Art

The Queen Kapi'olani Hotel in Waikiki is just finishing up their newly renovated space and I was honored to create a large-format illustration for the lobby. The magic of Waikiki has always been it's historic presence and it's beautiful mix of people, so I created a piece to reflect that and welcome hotel guests to step into the blend with us for the duration of their stay.

JuneShine Cans

Organic hard kombucha. Yes you heard that right. The folks over at JuneShine came up with a drink you can enjoy at night and not regret in the morning. Having seen some of my travel prints before, they asked if we could adapt existing artwork for their new cans.