About this painting…

The ʻiʻiwi or scarlet honeycreeper (Drepanis coccinea) and the ʻōhiʻa lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha) are cooperating species native to Hawaiʻi. The ʻiʻiwi bird eats nectar—its curved beak lets it sip from flowers–and the lehua flowers of the ʻōhiʻa tree are one of its favorite food sources. The ʻōhiʻa is a powerfully important tree both ecologically and culturally: Its forests provide habitat to many native birds like the ʻiʻiwi, but it also provides a scaffold for Indigenous art and myth. In legend, the tree is a great warrior who rejected the goddess Pele’s love, and was transformed into a gnarled tree. It is the first tree to grow on settled lava flows—the first tree to return after Pele has shaped the land. Both the ʻiʻiwi and the ʻōhiʻa lehua are threatened by invasive species and climate change.

This piece was commissioned by a coral reef biologist who sees these cooperative species as symbols both of the great resilience of nature, and also its fragility. In nature and in our own lives, interdependence makes us vulnerable—but it is also our greatest source of strength.

Postcard Details:

This postcard set contains (8) 4.25″ x 5.5″ glossy-front cards with the ʻIʻiwi + ʻŌhiʻa Lehua painting printed on sturdy 230 gsm cardstock. All postcards are lovingly handmade and printed at home in my little apartment in Washington, DC, and packaged in compostable, plant-based eco-clear bags for shipping.

A portion of the proceeds from your purchase will be donated to the Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project’s tree planting program. Every 5 sales of this postcard set will sponsor the planting of one native Hawaiian tree, including ʻōhiʻa!

Ordering Info:

☽ Free shipping to the continental US. International orders will receive a Paypal invoice via email for additional shipping costs.

☽ Please allow up to two weeks for printing and shipping.

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