Peace of the Tropics — Original Oil Painting

Peace of the Tropics

A honu rises through luminous blue water, meeting the surface between an expansive tropical sky and the world below.

Peace of the Tropics was inspired by an unforgettable day along Kauaʻi’s Nā Pali Coast

The ocean was unusually calm—almost glassy. From the boat, we watched spinner dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, seabirds, and the coastline unfolding beside us before stopping to snorkel.

We had been reminded to give the honu plenty of space and allow them to move undisturbed. While I was snorkeling over the reef on my own, one turtle emerged from beneath the coral and began swimming directly toward me.

I backed away.

It kept coming.

I backed away again.

And it kept coming.

Eventually I stopped, wondering what exactly this very determined turtle intended to do.

The honu stopped too.

For a few moments, it looked directly at me, and then slipped back beneath the water.

I still joke that perhaps the honu was flirting with me. Whatever brought it so close, the encounter felt personal enough that I knew almost immediately:

I was going to paint it.

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Between Two Worlds

The composition places the honu directly at the boundary between air and sea.

Above is an immense tropical sky filled with sculptural clouds and a nearly glasslike horizon. Below, sunlight travels through clear blue water toward the reef.

And between the two is the turtle—surfacing to breathe.

That threshold has always fascinated me. Ocean animals inhabit an entire world beneath the surface that we only glimpse.

Peace of the Tropics became my way of preserving that meeting.

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Painted in Oil

Unlike the transparent watercolor techniques seen in many of my other originals, Peace of the Tropics was created in oil on a gessoed board.

The richness of oil allowed me to build the deep blues of the ocean, the subtle markings and dimensional form of the honu, the reflected waterline, and the soft sculptural clouds above.

The firm gessoed surface also gives the painting a different visual presence from my works on watercolor paper—a smooth, substantial original with saturated color and depth that becomes especially apparent when viewed in person.

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Artwork Details

Original Oil Painting · One of One

Title: Peace of the Tropics
Artist: Christie Marie Elder
Created: 2012
Medium: Oil on gessoed board
Artwork Dimensions: 24" H × 30" W
Framed Dimensions: 32" H × 39" W × 1" D
Price: $12,500.

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Framing

Peace of the Tropics is professionally presented in a richly textured dark wood frame with a warm tan silk-covered liner. I selected the frame for its organic, irregular character; the dark wood pattern subtly echoes the markings of a honu shell and extends the character of the painting beyond the image itself.

Professionally framed and ready to hang.

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Artist Signature & Documentation

Signature: Signed by Christie Marie Elder on the front.

Each original artwork includes a Certificate of Authenticity (COA) together with an artist biography for provenance and collector records.

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Copyright

© Christie Marie Elder. All rights reserved.

Purchase of the original artwork transfers ownership of the physical artwork only. Copyright and reproduction rights remain with the artist and do not transfer with the sale.

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Shipping & Delivery

Kauaʻi: Complimentary gallery pickup or local delivery is available for original artwork purchases.

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