I am Ada Horn, a woman of many cultures, and an artist of many colors. As a child of Burmese and Chinese parents, I was taught to be obedient, to be seen but not heard. It was only in later years that I discovered the vast freedom of artistic expression, the ability to listen and to be heard through my paintings.

I have spent many years in Burma, Singapore, England, Germany, the US and France. I first learned to paint "pleine aire" (in the plain air) in the French Alps. I moved to Maui years ago to pursue my love of painting and conjure landscapes that celebrate my heritage and my love for Hawaii.

I'm drawn to the enchanted landscapes of Hawaii – there's something magical in the earth and sky here. I strive to merge myself with nature so that I can capture something of the calmness, colorfulness and a soothing delight that surrounds me.

I paint outdoors, and am subject to the whims of nature. Time, place and the outside world cease to be as I develop intimacy with the landscape to channel its energy with my brush. With watercolors, the merging process is intensified because of the moving and unpredictable nature of water on paper, much like the unpredictable weather and changing landscapes that I paint! Nature is free, and I am free, and this freedom is expressed with the loose and confident strokes of my paintings.

To paint with watercolors is a Zen experience. I cannot change the light, quiet the insects or move the sun to get the painting I want. I cannot correct mistakes as I could with oils or acrylics, so I have had to learn to consider such events as "happy accidents", and embrace them as part of the artistic process. My meditation practice tempers the wild, tropical colors of my paintings with a soothing serenity.

For a long time I had been Artist in Residence at the Grand Wailea Resort in Maui. Back then you could join me as I painted on Tuesdays and every second Sunday from 9am-2pm.

Contact me today for more details how I can serve you at this point in time.

To view a selection of my current work, browse the gallery where you can order prints and originals.

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