Pele and 'Ai la'au
Pele and 'Ai la'au began their dangerous dance on May 3, 2018, and it has been an incredibly captivating, humbling, and devastating show. On May 3, I evacuated from my home in Upper Leilani Estates for 35 days, living out of my truck with 2 dogs and an African Grey parrot.
On day 36, I returned to my home, semi-camping in a semi empty house. Until the end of the eruption, around August 5, I have been living with, hearing, see and feeling it all with a perfect view from my living room of Fissure 8.
The eruption was very masculine, harsh, raging, fierce and uncompromising. This image came to me in early July and needed to be put down on paper. Pele provides the lava and 'Ai la'au provides the direction, force, and power.
Pohoiki Stands Strong
Pohoiki Stands Strong is about this very special gathering place for the people of Puna being saved from the approaching lava. The lava did stop in time for this well known location, with the only boat ramp for fishing boats, to be saved. A new black sand beach has developed in front of the area and filling in the rocky shore of the entire bay. All created from the lava flow entering into the ocean, and pleasantly changing the face of Pohoiki.
The Healing Process Begins
The Healing Process Begins is showing all life in the area to be no longer present. It has become inaccessible to everyone, and is now the time for a healing to take place.
This drawing depicts ancestors beginning the healing process on then land as well as I the water. It could bee a long time before people, the public, have access, but in the meantime, the mana will get stronger and the whole area more beautiful.
Pu'uhonua o Honu
Pu'uhonua o Honu is more of a visionary drawing, hoping that the new Pohoiki black sand beach will become a safe haven for the honu. During the Kapoho area lava inundation, countless honu unnecessarily lost their lives. It could have been prevented. Since then Pohoiki was saved, and an enormous about of black sand has filled in Pohoiki from the front at Dead Trees, all of 1st Bay, stretching all the way to 2nd Bay. With destruction, beauty arises and positive change takes place.
Honu at Pohoiki Beach
Ka 'Io O Leilani
The Hawaiian Hawk, the ‘Io, has been and still is a resident of Leilani Estates. You can hear them with their distinctive call, and see them circling above. As so many people have been seriously affected by the eruption, the ‘Io, too, has lost some of it’s habitat. HOPE, that as Leilani Estates revives, so too the ‘Io continues to show its presence and remind us that Leilani is very much alive!!
Four Generations
In the year 1970/71, David and Patricia Hess had a house built on Luana St., with the help of their 4 children, in the newly developed Leilani Estates. It was the 5th house built in the subdivision. There, they began a family, where over the next almost 50 years, four generations had lived. David passed away in 10/2006 and Patricia in 11/2015.
On May 1, 2018, earthquakes began to be have an affect on Leilani Estates. The Hess family, like so many others, experienced earthquakes every 5 minutes over the next couple of days.
Approximately. at 3:30 pm on May 3, a volcanic fissure (Fissure 1) opened on Mohala St., in lower Leilani, prompting a mandatory evacuation of all of Leilani Estates.
Approximately May 19, Fissure 8 opened up in the Hess yard. It is believed that the following day, is when Fissure 8 took the house. And soon, two other houses and properties. By May 22, an aerial photo showed the Hess house completely encased. Between June 5 and June 9, Fissure 8 became the predominant fissure that permanently destroyed so much, covering 2&½ communities.
On July 1, the family took the 3 youngest, David and Patricia’s great-grandkids, living in the house at the time of the eruption, into Leilani, to the barricade at Leilani St. and Pomokai St. to see what had happened. The view of Fissure 8, where their house was, was not possible to see, as it was out of view. The lava river was visible, though, and a street they traveled countless times to get to their Luana house could be seen covered with 30+ft deep lava.
This drawing is named ….FOUR GENERATIONS… 16x20; colored pencils.
It was given to the family.
ʻAilāʻau
When Pele came to the island of Hawaii, seeking a permanent home, she found another god of fire already in possession of the territory. ʻAilāʻau was known and feared by all the people. Ai means the "one who eats or devours." Laau means "tree" or a "forest." ‘Ailāʻau was, therefore, the fire-god devouring forests. Time and again he laid the districts of South Hawaii desolate by the lava he poured out from his fire-pits.
‘Ailāʻau seemed to be destructive and was so named by the people, but his fires were a part of the forces of creation. He built up the islands for future life. The process of creation demanded volcanic activity. The flowing lava made land. The lava disintegrating made earth deposits and soil. Upon this land storms fell and through it multitudes of streams found their way to the sea. Flowing rivers came from the cloud-capped mountains. Fruitful fields and savage homes made this miniature world-building complete. ‘Ailāʻau still poured out his fire. It spread over the fertile fields, and the natives feared him as the destroyer giving no thought to the final good.
Spinner in Pohoiki Waters
This drawing depicts the playfulness of spinner dolphins, who have always frequented the waters of Pohoiki. Surfers often find them around when surfing. they are famous for their acrobatic displays in which they spin along its longitudinal axis as it leaps through the air. Acrobats of the ocean, spinner dolphins earned their name because of their ability to spin multiple times in one jump. scientists believe they spin for several reasons, including communication, removing parasites, and simply for the fun of it.
