I have such wonderful memories of visiting Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park with my family. My husband first took me there back when we were dating. We were on a quest to visit the island's historically and culturally significant spots. Volcanoes National Park was definitely on our list. I loved seeing the petroglyphs, walking through the lava tube, and exploring the park with him. Later, we returned with my in-laws and stayed at the Kilauea Military Camp (KMC) cabins, which was such a fun experience. Now I really want to go back with my three kids. I love hiking and exploring with them.

For this design, I knew immediately that I wanted a black and red color palette - red to represent the flowing lava, and black for the hardened lava.

I referenced the official Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park website to select the right motifs to represent the park. I decided to feature the ʻōhiʻa lehua twice to honor its deep connection to the volcano and the goddess Pele. That resilience inspires me... even after destruction, new life can begin. It's a great reminder that it's never too late to start anew, no matter the circumstance.

The flower appears once as a Hawaiian quilt design, and again as a linocut pattern. I used that same linocut visual style (which looks like a hand-carved stamp) for the rest of the motifs as well. These include the nēnē goose, ʻiʻiwi and koaʻe kea birds, ʻōhelo berry, petroglyphs, and, of course, a volcanic eruption.

Once I had drawn all the motifs, I arranged them in Illustrator to create the final checkered pattern with subtle contrast. I think the duality between the red and black makes this design so striking. I absolutely love how it turned out.