Cathie Pua
I'm Still Here - Watercolor on Arches 300 pound paper - 8 x 10 inches - 2020
I am a breast cancer survivor. I painted this in honor of my dear hula sister, who died of cervical cancer. We were training together to chant and play the ipu (Hawaiian gourd drum). Before she died, she told me that she would always be with me, especially when I chanted. After she passed, I painted this picture of her ipu in the place we practiced together. I painted the ipu last, but its photo had disappeared from my phone. Then I heard her saying, "The ipu is still here, visible in your heart. So am I. “I'm still here."
A working artist by the age of 24, I abandoned art at the age of 26 until the Covid 19 lockdown afforded me the space and time to reignite my lifelong love affair with painting. I am most inspired by the beauty and mystery of nature and the warmth, curiosity, strength, and generosity that are the core of the human condition. I especially love the unexpected, in nature and humanity, and aspire to create art that stirs the heart. I work primarily in watercolor and pastels