Spring 2026
Hawaii Dreaming
Capturing the splendor of Haleakalā National Park in photos and illustrations.
I began dreaming of going to Hawaii when I was a kid. I pictured islands suspended in the vast Pacific Ocean and isolated ecosystems shaped by wind and fire and wave. At the time, I was fascinated by marine life, and I imagined arriving with a sketchbook — so I could draw the creatures and places I’d seen in books and on VHS cassettes.
Haleakalā National Park
This park protects a portion of the dormant 10,000-foot-tall shield volcano that makes up most of the island of Maui, including a 2-mile-wide crater at the volcano’s summit.
See more ›I’d always been into nature of all kinds, and one of my favorite things to do was re-create the natural world with pencil and paper. I was obsessed with studying the anatomy of animals and memorizing their structures as I drew them.
I was inspired, in part, by my mother, a career painter. Life flowed between creating alongside her in her home studio and exploring outside — riding my bike through the woods and open fields of eastern Washington, where we lived in an isolated town on the Oregon border. On weekends, we’d load up the ’78 VW bus and head to the Blue Mountains or trace the Columbia River west to the coast.
Unfortunately, travel to tropical islands isn’t as simple or cheap as those road trips, so despite my excitement, the actual journey to Hawaii took decades to materialize. Finally last year, when I had adult children of my own, an opportunity arose. Plans evolved until, before we knew it, we had a group of seven: my brother, his two kids and three of my children. We spent much of our time in Haleakalā National Park, where travelers can encounter as many different ecological zones between sea and summit as they would on a road trip from Mexico to Canada. We were mesmerized.
I pictured islands suspended in the vast Pacific Ocean.
I took photos by the hundreds, some showcased here, but there was a magic, an expanse, an energy that eluded me. The tree cathedral of Hosmer Grove, the grandeur of the volcanic crater, the darting ʻiʻiwi — I couldn’t quite capture them with my lens.
And so, on the flight home, I picked up my pencil and tablet and began to draw.
About the author
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Matt Brass AuthorMatt Brass recently retired from his job as vice president of creative at an ad agency specializing in sustainability and the environment after a 17-year run. Since then, he's founded a company, Smoky Outfitters, that creates art about destinations around the U.S., including many national parks. Based in Knoxville, Tennessee, Brass continues to pursue photography and document his adventures in the great outdoors. To learn more, go to mattbrass.com.
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