Gifts to Jack Print

Gifts to Jack's unifying visual element is a stencil of the breadfruit, or 'ulu tree, and is indebted to the rich quilting history of the islands.   In Hawaiian folklore the god Ku turned himself into an 'ulu (breadfruit) tree to save the people during a time of famine. 'Ulu is an iconic, cultural symbol of abundance.  Over the summer we picnicked under the breadfruit tree we planted in the backyard. Even as we struggled with some isolation, the overflow of friendship, hope, and celebration represented by the garden became the inspiration for this artwork. This is a mixed media painting with many layers created on a cradled wood board and sealed with beeswax.