Aloha!  My name is Toni Tengan.  I live in Honolulu, Hawaii, on the island of Oahu.  I have been interested in art since I was able to hold a pencil.  I became interested in architecture by the time I was 9.  I made 7 miniature houses over the course of 9 years until I was 17.  These homes were made from balsa wood, toothpicks and popsicle sticks.  Of the 7, I only have 2 left.  The others were given as gifts of appreciation to people I was grateful to know. 

I attended Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY at a time when the school was ranked 3rd in the nation in Art & Design.  Although I could only afford one year at that school, it was worth every penny I saved to go there.  

A trip to Europe in 1998 motivated me to get back into art.  I sketched everything I saw instead of taking pictures.  It was a huge test for me.  I had not drawn anything for 11 years.   These sketches will also be posted for sale as soon as I am able.  I returned to Honolulu with the inspiration to paint in oils.  By taking classes at the local Art Academy I learned how to paint a scene from a photograph that Mrs. Eleanor Ing had taken while on a gondola ride through the Venice canals.  I have also created some Pastel Figure Study drawings that I hope will interest you to add to your collection.  Yes, they are considered to be in the "beginner" level, but my quest is to achieve my goal that I was heading towards when I had studied art in NYC.  The goal being what my Professor in Drawing class told me at Pratt:  "Toni, there is a fine line between Art and Academics," he said.  "There is?", I said.  "Yes, Toni, you have found that line..."

I hope that the pieces I made will bring you as much joy as I did in making them.  (SMILE).