Patrick Ching (born 1963) is a

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

an conservationist and

wildlife art Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas. There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...

ist, ornithological

illustrator An illustrator is an artist who specializes in enhancing writing or elucidating concepts by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text or idea. The illustration may be intended to clarify complicat ...

, and author of children's books.

Early life

Ching was born in Oahu. He received his alma mater from the Otis College of Art and Design where he trained to be an artist. In 1984 he moved to Kauai in order to do volunteer for the

United States Fish and Wildlife Service The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with othe ...

as a wildlife ranger. This took him to remote areas of the

Hawaiian Islands The Hawaiian Islands ( haw, Nā Mokupuni o Hawai‘i) are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kur ...

where he worked a great deal with sharks, seals, turtles and other marine animals. He then became a ranger at the

Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge on the northwest coast of the island of Kauai, Kauai in Hawaii, Hawaii. History Kilauea Light, Kīlauea Lighthouse was built in 1913. In 1976, the Coast Guard deactivated the l ...

As a painter

A painter since age 16, Ching gained international recognition because of his painting's remarkable likeness to the photographs he took while in the field. His most notable works of art can be seen on Hawaii's first Wildlife Conservation Stamp featuring the Hawaiian state bird the Nene, a species of goose endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. and the

Hawaiian Telcom Hawaiian Telcom, Inc., is the incumbent local exchange carrier (ILEC) or dominant local telephone company, serving the state of Hawaii. In 2005, Hawaiian Telcom Holdco, Inc., was formed by The Carlyle Group, following its purchase of the Hawaiian ...

Phone Book Cover featuring Halley's Comet. In 2008, Ching painted the hundred foot mural for the Salt Lake Public Library. which was featured in national magazines including Wildlife Art News, Audubon, and Birders' World. Works by Ching are included in the collections of Hawaii's

Bishop Museum The Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, designated the Hawaii State Museum of Natural and Cultural History, is a museum of history and science in the historic Kalihi district of Honolulu on the Hawaiian island of Oʻahu. Founded in 1889, it is the lar ...

and the

Smithsonian Museum The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

in New York.

As an author

Ching has written around twenty books, most of which are about wildlife and nature. In 1998 Ching started writing children's books.

Art Gallery

In 1996, Patrick opened the Naturally Hawaiian Gallery from the ruins of an old gas station in the heart of Waimānalo, and in 2008, Patrick Ching Art Gallery opened in Princeville, Kauaʻi.

Publications

Ching has written around twenty books, among them are:
Honu and Hina: A Story of CoexistenceHow Fo Surf Bettah (2010)The Tale of Rabbit Island (2001)Sea Turtles of Hawaiʻi (2001)The Story of Hina (1998)Endangered Animals of Hawaiʻi (1995)The Hawaiian Monk Seal (1994)The Beautiful Birds of Hawaii (1992)Native Animals of Hawaiʻi (1988)Exotic Animals in Hawaiʻi

References

External links

Official websiteMoanalua Memories
at Salt Lake-Moanalua Public Library {{DEFAULTSORT:Ching, Patrick 1960s births Living people Hawaii artists People from Oahu Otis College of Art and Design alumni American illustrators American conservationists Wildlife artists