I had a similar image but quickly found that instead of pretty blue water greeting sandy beaches, in Pohnpei where the island meets the sea are soupy swamps of murky brown water. These mangrove swamps that encase the island are fed by the enormous run-off from the rain and cloud forests that boast an astonishing 400 inches a year of rainfall. The magnificent swamps and rain forests became my icons of the subterranean forces, the swampy murk and ooze. I had known the beauty and vitality of nature, but in Pohnpei, I also experienced nature's dark side. This darkness or wildness is also beautiful, and necessary.
Magic permeates the island.
The people still practice magic and much of the lore of Pohnpei is embellished with heroic tales of magical acts, especially the mythology of Nan Madol, an ancient basalt stone city built in the 1200's by the saudilers. Even more powerful than magic is the spirit of the ocean and ocean themes work their way into much of my painting as well. I lay coats of bright colors on the canvas, let them dry, then apply a later of darker colors. While the second coat of dark paint is still wet, I scratch through it revealing the lighter colors underneath and creating rich, vibrant color combinations. The technique itself is a metaphor for Pohnpei, and perhaps other developing nations.