"Triffids"   Charcoal and conte crayon on paper toned with pastel.  15 x 21 inches.

View of detail of this image.

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I was thinking of an old 1950's horror film when I titled this piece:  in "Day of the Triffids," monstrous plants from outer space infested the earth and rambled about on their leg-like roots.  The wild branches of this Pukiawe bush seemed so much like the appendages of an active, lively creature that I couldn't help but be reminded of the awful Triffids.  The Pukiawe is a native Hawaiian shrub that can still be found in abundance in many areas of Maui - while out on an aimless walk, I noticed this specimen growing near the mouth of a small cave, where I had taken shelter to escape a rain shower.  I completed the drawing from within the cave, to protect the work from the rain.