The sea nymph in this painting is the Hawaiian goddess "Pele", she is blowing into her conch shell and it is unclear if she is surrounded by light or being engulfed by darkness.
If you have followed the news, you probably have heard that there is a lot going on with the Kilauea crater in Hawaii. Volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and molten lava running down the mountain into the ocean are all scary things to deal with. Today, I heard that the residents of Hawaii's Big Island now have new threats to worry about: steam-driven explosions, hazardous volcanic smog, and acid rain. My heart goes out to them and I hope that things calm down soon.
All this has also made me think of stories told of "Pele", the Hawaiian goddess of fire, lightning, wind, dance, and volcanoes. She was the inspiration behind this latest painting.
In stories, it is told about the goddess Pele, that she was born from a female spirit named Haumea. She is a descendant of Papa, or Sky Father, who is a supreme being. This makes her a notable deity who is known to the Hawaiian culture as one who shapes the sacred land.
Something has upset "Pele" and therefore I decided to create a background that has both light and dark areas signifying the push and pull between calm and turbulence. I used turquoise, blues, pinks and greens and even some dark greys and purples. There are a lot of techniques employed to simulate different brushwork.
The painting can be ordered in print form from below...
