The Arctic Luau

"We're Havin' a Heat Wave... A Tropical Heat Wave"

This image came about from some volunteering that I did this Holiday season for the Children's Mercy Hospital. Every year a group from work goes down and helps to decorate the Hospital for the Holidays. This year there was an added challenge. No fire restrictions; no paper, no lights, no hangy downies from the ceiling, no paper snow flakes, and NO KIDDING. So, a lot of hospitals just gave up and didn't decorate this year due to the stringent restrictions. Somehow our leaders found nonflammable decorations, and window markers.

I was asked if I would help decorate by painting window scenes for the Holidays. I agreed.

I asked what should I use as subject matter or stay away from?

1. No Angels... this is a children's hospital, (the whole death thing would be bad)

2. they would like a snow scene.

3. if you do children, or people, you have to do every race/ type/ creed/ handicapped/ etc... so try to steer clear of that.

4. Try to steer clear of specific "religious" iconography. Keep it light. The kids are away from home at the holidays.

5. Animals are always nice.

6. If you can tie in one of the tree decoration themes, that would be great.

Ok, Snow scene, Animals, (make them cute) and tie in the theme of the tree that the windows are near... This is a piece of cake.

What are the tree themes: Luau, and Independence Day. Those were the ones that were fire retardant that were in the volunteer budget..... Snow scene and Luau? Snow scene and Luau! Arctic Luau... why not? So at first I didn't have the penguins because they were south pole and the polar bear was north pole, but... Hey, maybe everybody was on vacation, or as somebody else pointed out... if the bear can wear a hawaiian shirt, then the penguins can be in the picture. Fantasy is fantasy.