Interpretations of nature in different styles and media by three artists make “EARTH,” on view at the tucked-away Cedar Street Galleries, a colorful, expressive and exciting show. Hamilton Kobayashi’s representational scenic oil paintings, Kenny Kicklighter’s abstract ceramics and Christopher Edwards’ clay portraits of various life forms share a common thread, showing what the world around us looks and feels like through their eyes.

Kobayashi has been painting since 1995 under the mentorship of renowned painter Satoru Abe and has exhibited in many galleries around town. Here, among his paintings of seascapes and the moon, it’s his volcano series that holds the eye: An erupting Kilauea — with smoke, lava and sky — is depicted in vibrant shades of reds, oranges and blues. The palette is bold, and Kobayashi isn’t afraid to push each stroke on the canvas to convey the volcano’s power and strength.

“It’s the colors that got me interested in painting the volcano,” said Kobayashi. “You can create a very emotional painting by the way you depict smoke and lava, and I enjoyed capturing that … especially in the evening scenes of Kilauea.”

While he also draws inspiration from nature, Kicklighter leans toward more abstract shapes and forms. His minimalist ceramic sculpture “Tree Hugger” is made with high-fired stoneware and applied apple tree ash from an orchard in Washington state. “I wanted to convey the importance of trees and the vital role they play in maintaining a delicate balance in our environment,” said Kicklighter, whose work has been acquired by the State Foundation on Culture and Arts and the Contemporary Museum. “Every tree has its own beautiful energy,” he added.

Together with gallery owners Michael and Sheri Schnack, Kicklighter worked to put on the show, inviting Edwards to join as the third artist. Edwards began working with ceramics four years ago at Windward Community College; his award-winning work has been in juried shows like the Hawaii Craftsmen’s Statewide and Raku Ho‘olaulea exhibitions.

For “EARTH,” Edwards said, he began by collecting natural objects that he found beautiful, such as shells, pine cones, seed pods and bits of coral. “I tried to figure out why and how they got that way,” he said. “I discovered the ‘natural self-assembly,’ where everything is built out of smaller pieces, suggesting an underlying logic of geometry and attraction between the parts. It is this process that inspires my work.”

This inspiration is most evident in his wana (sea urchin) sculptures, displayed upstairs at the gallery. “I love being underwater, and have spent many delightful hours watching wana slowly move across the seafloor,” Edwards said, describing his wana sculptures as having “a squishy-hard, tactile quality that I love; they are meant to be held as much as to be looked at.” Despite rules against touching art in galleries, he added, “I’m always deeply gratified when someone is compelled to reach out and touch one of my artworks. That’s the highest compliment I can get!”

“EARTH” is refreshing. It is an exhibit of appreciation. The show doesn’t choose to make any statements by focusing on problems, but instead simply celebrates earth’s natural beauty. Taking the time to appreciate what is already good and precious can help us keep the earth that way.