Nohea Gallery which has stores at Ward Centre, Ward Warehouse and Waikiki carries the ceramic fire-breathing fish above ($120), designed by Mark Donley and Tinka Jordy of Gardendance. The torch also comes in turtle and contemporary swirl designs. If you don't see them on the floor, ask. They can be brought in as ordered.
The powerful yet elegant source
of nighttime light is a charming
accent for summer's backyard soirees
In Greek mythology, Prometheus stole it from Zeus and the heavens to empower mankind; tribes used it for centuries as the nucleus for communal rites and the Pointers Sisters equated it with passion in a hit tune.
Fire.
Dangerous if one gets too close, it's all at once mystical, primal, sensual and romantic -- some of the reasons, perhaps, why people are drawn to the warmth of a campfire or fireplace.
A torch has the same effect. Though small, the flame evokes feelings of summer beaches and ease, warmed spirits and sated appetites.
A traditional tiki lamp is enough to start one's mouth watering for a mai tai at a sunset luau. A familiar sight at resorts, they are especially nice as they don't rust. Beachside Lighting, a company based in Kailua, manufactures two types available at Gaspro, one that holds kerosene ($99) and another that can be hooked to propane gas tanks akin to gas grills or natural gas powered lines ($145). The 1-inch pipe and connector fittings found at any plumbing shop are purchased separately. The coned cannister holds 16 hours worth of oil, with 4 to 5 hours of burn time before the wick needs advancing. Torches using fuel or gas tend to stay lighted in wind and rain and have a burn life of 25 hours for a standard gas-grill tank.
Resorts worldwide have torches dotting their properties, plotted by savvy landscape designers who know the powerful, yet charming and elegant ambience that can be created with such devices aflame.
Summer's a good time to bring that aura into your own back yard.
Garden torchlights, commonly known as tiki torches, define a party space and can lift a typical one from ordinary to inspiring. If you have a pool, lucky you can use them to highlight the food table and barbecue areas and let the guests dive in. But simply lining the driveway with a few bamboo lights will set the stage for a group to plop cooler, Hibachi and lawn chairs on the concrete, take in the sky and enjoy a lazy summer evening.
Citronella candles ($5 each), left, from Pier 1 Imports are a 23-inch candle on a 25-inch long bamboo stick that can be wedged into a deep bucket of dirt or sand. Bright colors add festive flair to backyard barbecues. From Lighting Elegance at 3057 Waialae Ave., copper Gardendance torches, right, cost $54 for the large size and $32 for the smaller one.
Ralph Dobson, senior technical services engineer at Hawaiian Electric Co., who is helping to set up the annual Outdoor Lighting Fest at the Honolulu Academy of Arts later this month has a few tiki torches around his hot tub and fires them up when he's entertaining.
"It's so relaxing, you feel like you're on a mini vacation," he said.
Outdoor lighting is valued mostly for security and safety reasons, said Dobson, but a few decorative lights around the yard allows home owner's to enjoy a gardens' beauty day and night.
The wrought iron torch ($12.99), left, and Beachcomber torch ($6.99), center, are both from City Mill. A stainless steel version ($75) by Weber also comes in black or bronze ($57) and is available at Gaspro.
By using citronella, some torches can serve a dual purpose as mosquito repellent, although most use simple lamp oil or kerosene. A variation of the tiki lamp at bottom left uses propane or natural gas.
Vendors at the lighting show will have several other options -- including safe choices for condo and apartment lanais -- on display, but torch lights in particular are easy to find at any garden store this time of year, and are available at a range of prices. A few options are pictured here.
Outdoor Lighting Fest
See the latest in outdoor lighting technology as The Illuminating Engineering Society, a lighting design society, hosts its annual lighting fest. Enjoy the outdoors, pupus, no host bar and mingle with Hawaii's lighting designers.When: 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. June 20
Where: Honolulu Academy of Arts Linekona Buildling
Cost: $15 per person
Call: 543-4754 for more information
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calendars and events.
