Native Hawaiian, Kupono McDaniel, is a lifelong lover of art. In his 20’s he partnered with other artist friends to create Wolf Clan, a Native American art group in Seattle Washington. When the allure of being a starving artist waned, he moved to Hawaiʻi Island to attend University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo where he majored in Natural Sciences.
Today, toward the end of a career in the National Park Service, Kupono is rekindling the love of creating art through turning wood. “I love how every piece of wood reveals new challenges and beauty,” says McDaniel “sometimes the most challenging pieces yield the most interesting results.”
Learning through trial and error in his recently built wood shop in Puna, Kupono spends any spare time spinning wood and making small wood projects while dreaming of retiring to a life of woodwork.