New Work Wednesday: Green Sand Beach

5/2/2012

My new painting this week is entitled Green Sand Beach.

©2012 Mary C. Nasser, Green Sand Beach, mixed-media/acrylic on canvas, 5 x 6 inches

This painting layers Hawaiian maps, decorative paper, typed text, olivine, metallic tape, metal ephemera and acrylic paint and media on a small stretched canvas. I adhered a tiny piece of olivine at Green Sand Beach's location on the center map. The metal compass needle points to the location, too.

Green Sand Beach (Papakōlea Beach) is one of only two green sand beaches in the world. (The other is at the Galapagos Islands.) Green Sand Beach gets its distinctive coloring from olivine found in the enclosing cinder cone. Olivine is a common mineral component of Hawaiian lavas and one of the first crystals to form as magma cools.

Green Sand Beach is located near South Point, the southernmost point on the Big Island of Hawaii and of the 50 United States. Because I didn’t have a 4 Wheel Drive, it was a 2 ¼ mile hike one-way to the Green Sand Beach…but worth every step!

olivine

Thanks so much for visiting my blog!
Hope you're having a wonderful week!
Mary^

44 Comments

Sara link

5/1/2012 10:31:50 pm

coolest thng i have seen yet! and yuor newest follower

Kimberly Jones link

5/1/2012 10:59:53 pm

Beautiful! I've always dreamed of visiting Hawaii, and your maps make me want to be there even more! I love the olivine that you've used in several of your map paintings. Such a lovely shade of green!

Ana link

5/1/2012 11:29:29 pm

Beautiful painting and I love the richness and collage textures of your creation, making it even more beautiful and meaningful.

CereusArt link

5/2/2012 12:36:40 am

I've never seen green sand! How cool!

Gloria J Zucaro link

5/2/2012 12:55:19 am

This is so beautiful and interesting, Mary. I also love seeing the shell full of olivine. I wished to tumble it through my fingers! Where do you get it? Is it found in the Hawaiian Islands?

Mary link

5/2/2012 04:43:20 am

Gloria,
Thank you for your comment!
I purchased olivine and green sand and black sand while I was on the Big Island!
~Mary

Cheryl's Excellent Adventure link

5/2/2012 03:45:48 am

Thanks for showing us what olivine looks like. I gather you bought it in Hawaii. Or do you pick it up off the beach.

Mary link

5/2/2012 04:46:36 am

Cheryl,
I bought olivine while I was on the Big Island of Hawaii.
Was never, ever tempted to pick it up off the beach...it is supposedly very bad luck to take lava rock, olivine, or any other material from the landscape. Didn't want to run the risk of Pele's curse! :)
~Mary

Gabby's Quilts link

5/2/2012 08:12:57 am

How very cool, I have never seen green sand :)
From Blogging Buddies
www.gabbysquilts.blogspot.com

Asia link

5/3/2012 05:34:54 am

Hi Mary, thank you for stopping at my blog ;). Love your painting!

Best wishes
Asia (fellow Etsian Creative Spell Designs)

SplendidLIttleStars link

5/3/2012 08:47:13 am

I've never heard of a green sand beach before! That must be amazing! Olivine is so pretty! If I ever go to the Big Island, I'll be sure to check it out.

Ayala Art link

5/3/2012 02:08:07 pm

How cool is that!! The pebbles are awesome!

Heather Foust link

5/3/2012 02:13:10 pm

Mary I love your new piece! I am really loving the colors you are using. And that green sand is the coolest!! Beautiful!

Jenn H link

5/3/2012 02:13:48 pm

So cool!! I've never heard of green sand!! Love all those textures and especially that compass arrow! Happy PPF! :)

-KAT- link

5/3/2012 02:29:09 pm

that color of green is very nice. I really like the colors of green and blue. I also would love to have a handful of those soft gems to study . You are so lucky to live there.
- KAT-

gloria link

5/3/2012 02:31:15 pm

Hi Mary. I never heard of green sand before but that is awesome. I love those green pebbles. Love your map of direction. Excellent.

Helen Campbell link

5/3/2012 02:44:45 pm

Your painting is fabulous. I'd never heard of green sand and want to go see if for myself now. :) Happy PPF!

Debbie link

5/3/2012 02:45:11 pm

Great piece! Olivine is so beautiful. That bit of map really brings back some fun memories for me. I've been to the black sand beach near there. Someday, I'll have to make it to the green sand beach!

Lynn Cohen link

5/3/2012 02:49:54 pm

so interesting your found jewels here...at first they looked like plain green peas, but on closer inspection real gems.

your collage work is fun too with the maps and layers!

Everyday inspired link

5/3/2012 02:52:37 pm

Beautiful piece! I love the colors and textures.
Valerie
Everyday Inspired

Rinda link

5/3/2012 03:38:01 pm

I love seeing how these mapscapes have developed.
Rinda

Tracey Fletcher King link

5/3/2012 04:53:50 pm

The colours in that olivine are just gorgeous... I love how your work is getting more and more richly layered...xx

pointypix link

5/3/2012 05:16:52 pm

another gorgeous piece and i had no idea about green sand beaches! i love the compass needle on your piece this week. thanksfor showing us olivine-its beautiful.

Giggles link

5/3/2012 05:34:48 pm

Wonderful and refreshing piece! Love the blues and greens..and the darling pebbles!! Happy ppf!

Hugs Giggles

Anne link

5/3/2012 06:27:25 pm

Lovely combination of different materials and elements, fresh and interesting!

Annette G link

5/3/2012 08:50:43 pm

Loving your wonderful collage Mary. Happy PPF, Annette x

Mari link

5/3/2012 09:02:29 pm

I like combinaslos colors of the Earth and the sea with its originating materials. Saludos

Nordljus link

5/3/2012 09:07:00 pm

I've never heard of green beaches, but I'd love to see one! The olivine looks wonderful! Beautiful work, the combination of the colours works so well, and I love that magnifying piece. Happy PPF!

carlarey link

5/3/2012 09:36:26 pm

Now you have made me want to go to Hawaii.

Molly link

5/3/2012 09:52:13 pm

I always love reading about your Hawaiian adventures and seeing how you incorporate them in your beautiful artwork!

Faye link

5/3/2012 10:25:15 pm

Gorgeous painting, Mary. The olivine is something new to me. What a fabulous color..

Stephanie Corder link

5/3/2012 11:50:45 pm

"Excavation" and "Discovery" two wonderful words, so promising and yes, fulfilled through this beautiful piece. I LOVE your work!

Petrea link

5/4/2012 12:02:52 am

Wow I didn't know about green sand beaches. This is a wonderful mixed media piece you have done

Marji link

5/4/2012 12:21:55 am

Wow, Mary.. Beautiful. I didn't know about green sand beaches in the world. Happy PPF

Natasa May link

5/4/2012 12:23:46 am

I've never seen or heard of olivine. It looks beautiful! Great mixed media piece. :)

Carolyn Dube link

5/4/2012 01:07:11 am

So neat seeing how your grids develop lately! Love the spinner and the olivine too!

lisa wright link

5/4/2012 01:24:33 am

wow - I would love to see this beach!

Minnemie link

5/4/2012 01:45:22 am

Who knew?! Never heard of olivine. SO beautiful. Love your contours and textures!

Jennibellie link

5/4/2012 02:41:04 am

Gorgeous layers!! You always put them together so scrummily, happy ppf much love xx

Rhonda link

5/4/2012 02:53:46 am

Beautiful work Mary! I just want to touch your painting! Loving all the wonderful texture! Happy ppf :-)

Scarlett Clay link

5/4/2012 01:24:49 pm

I've never heard of olivine, that's really cool and it's a lovely shade. I love the way you incorporated the maps into your piece!

Carol link

5/4/2012 10:54:46 pm

Wow! Love the idea of green sand and lovely creation ~thanks, namaste, ^_^

Sigga Dís

5/5/2012 06:47:00 am

Beautiful work as always Mary.

Pauline Leger link

5/7/2012 04:09:22 am

This is awesome Mary. i'm amazed at the little pieces you can add to a painting, and i swear they all fit there perfectly. The green sand beach info is so interesting. i almost always learn something here. Love it. xoxo