Maui (study) 12" x 21.5"

Maui (study) 12" x 21.5"

The legend of Maui exists throughout the south Pacific. In Hawaii, Maui is one of four sons of the Gods Akalana and his wife Hina. One day Maui gets his brothers to go fishing with him, however, he has another plan instead of catching a fish. Using his fishing hook, he grabs on the ocean floor. He then tells all his brothers in the canoe that he has caught a giant fish and they all need to paddle the canoe as fast and as hard as possible. Maui  is a trickster and is able to do this same trick with his brothers to pull up all the Hawaiian islands.  Another legend of Maui involves a trip to the top of Haleakala and lassos the sun and slows it down.

This piece is a small study for a much larger painting that I am about to start. In this piece I used an irregular canvas and perspective to highlight the act of pulling up an island. The top of his fishing hook is just above the water pulling up the rocks that can  be seen to the left. Maui has both his feet on the edge of the wooden canoe for extra leverage. Behind him are giant billowing clouds with the sun shinning high.

first sketch

To the right is a small sketch that I did before I started this piece. There are more elements that I am thinking about adding to the final piece - maybe part of a canoe mast. or the back of one of his brothers paddling the canoe.