Thanks for visiting this page. My name is Maria Panlilio, and I'm known to those close to me as The Volcano Lover. This article will enlighten you with respect to my near obsessive fascination with the living, breathing, unpredictable, temperamental and explosive mountains. I hope you experience some enjoyment in sharing a part of me. Before you go, please leave a comment so I would know you've left your footprint in the sands of my paradise.
Maria
MARIA ON TOP OF THE WORLD
I have never seen Volcanoes
By Emily Dickinson
I have never seen "Volcanoes"— But, when Travellers tell How those old—phlegmatic mountains Usually so still— Bear within—appalling Ordnance, Fire, and smoke, and gun, Taking Villages for breakfast, And appalling Men— If the stillness is Volcanic In the human face When upon a pain Titanic Features keep their place— If at length the smouldering anguish Will not overcome— And the palpitating Vineyard In the dust, be thrown? If some loving Antiquary, On Resumption Morn, Will not cry with joy "Pompeii"! To the Hills return!
Unlike Emily Dickinson, I have seen volcanoes. Not only have I seen volcanoes, I've physically embraced them and celebrated their existence and immense power. Without volcanoes we would not have lands on which to plant our feet.
People have asked me when this obsession about volcanoes started. Well...I was too young then to claim vivid remembrance of that special moment today, but I will try and go back in time...way back, in my youth.
I see myself dreamily perched on top of a hill under the canopy of a huge tree. The sun lazily makes its way down the horizon sighing its surrender to darkness. Behind it, streaks and blots of yellow, red, indigo and other rainbow hues paint the vast canvas of the sky. I've been ignoring my eldest sister's command to go back inside the Taal Volcano Lodge in Tagaytay where the vacationing family is staying. From my vantage point I am immersed in the beauty of my surroundings. I see the picturesque Volcano Island below--the site of Taal Volcano and Taal Lake. With the movement of the clouds upon it, the volcano looks like a gentle sea monster swimming in the lake. I hear my sister's voice -- louder this time. It's getting darker so I gesture to follow her lest she reports me to our parents and I get reprimanded. Suddenly, I hear rumbling in the distance, followed by an explosion of something big; then a spectacular pyrotechnic display in the sky. Stupefied, I freeze, mouth wide open, eyes round and big. I've seen volcano eruptions before but never this close. My parents come running toward me. They look scared, or angry. I am not. My heart swells with excitement I've never felt before.
And that, my friend, is my story on how it all began. . .my spiritual connection with volcanoes. And this article is just one of many I've written, with a few of the artworks I've created, to pay homage to these geological wonders.
Taal Volcano (Philippines)
There are 200 active volcanoes in the Philippines, and Taal Volcano is one of the most active. It is a very popular tourist attraction in the country due to its spectacular setting -- quite a geological phenomenon as it is actually a volcano within a lake within a volcano. It is also the world's smallest volcano, but its eruptive quality can compete with the best of them, enough that it has altered the topography of the region. The best vantage point to enjoy the scenery is from Tagaytay -- the country's second "Summer Capital" because of its cooler climate.
(More on Taal Volcano later from my journals.) About this docublog
(The term "docublog" is something I've coined. I feel that calling an extensive piece like this, which is more like a documentary, seems a little too restrictive.)
This docublog is mostly about my exploration of the Pacific Cascade volcanoes that lasted for about two years. It all started when a (now ex) boyfriend and I quit our enviable jobs with major corporations and moved to Seattle, Washington. We withdrew some of our 401k funds, and without jobs communed with volcanoes. It was an incredible experience that automatically ignites the fire of passion in my heart every time I relive the memories etched on the pages of my mind--those moments when I would take a break from hiking to inhale and record the magnificent panorama before me through art and writing. They were moments of heightened consciousness, inspiration and spirituality.
I share with you these memories. Enjoy some of the drawings and paintings herein, together with my thoughts and feelings during those inspired moments. BUT, first, here's an oil painting of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines--my personal and sentimental favorite because I've trekked the mountain and interacted with the elusive Aeta tribes in my youth. (I will provide the URL link to the stories later.) Pinatubo lay asleep for 600 years, until it decided it was time to wake up. Early in June, 1991, it began a series of eruptions, which would mark the second strongest in the century (Novarupta in Alaska claims first place), believed to have been caused by an earthquake in 1990. Pinatubo was an innocent-looking peak in a mountain range straddling three provinces in Central Luzon, and only the experts knew it to be a volcano, surprising most people, including me, when it erupted. We didn't even know it had a name. As you can see, the summit of Pinatubo has been reduced to a caldera that rains transformed into a lake.  | ||||||||||
MOUNT PINATUBO (PHILIPPINES)
This is the volcano that inspired my historical fiction novel "MOUNT PINATUBO"set in the Philippines and centered around its eruption in 1991. The mountain straddles three provinces in Central Luzon, namely: Zambales, Tarlac, and of course, Pampanga (where I grew up). Here's an excerpt from Chapter One of the novel:
"My smile quickly vanishes when I remember that the home I’ve known for many years will not look like the same home anymore. I close my eyes and replay the images from Mount Pinatubo’s recent eruption in my head: how the volcano has retouched the landscape of this once lush tropical place; and how light pumice dust covers everything, giving the area a mystical, winter-like appearance with an eerie look to it. I see visions of Mount Pinatubo with all its monstrous glory, wispy steam still breathing gently from its throat, and black smoke spewing into the sky. In the foreground, horrible images of ash-buried homes and what used to be lush meadows and woodlands now totally obliterated and transformed into a lunar landscape."
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The Pacific Cascade Range
in the "Ring of Fire"
A Volcano Lover's Art Journal
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| (Yes, that's coffee stain on the page. :-D I can't remove it without damaging the paper.) |
MOUNT ST. HELENS (State of Washington)
This is a portrait of St. Helens after its eruption in 1980, showing a huge gash on its north face. Prior to its catastrophic May 18, 1980 eruption, St. Helens was the fifth-highest peak in Washington at 9,677 feet ( 8,365 feet today). It stood out prominently from surrounding hills because of the symmetry and extensive snow and ice cover of the pre-1980 summit cone, earning it the nickname "Mount Fuji of America".
Mount St. Helens will always be my sentimental favorite among the Cascade volcanoes because she's the only one that has erupted in my lifetime--so far. I've hiked and explored her several times, with and without Michael. There's just so much to do there. The museums/visitor centers are excellent. I could work there for food and lodging if they would have me. :-)
(More about my experiences at Mount St. Helens later from my journals.)
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| More of Mt. St. Helens from various settings and angles |
This is beautiful St. Helens before the1980 eruption severely marred her face.
I've visited Rainier and St. Helens many times, which produced a lot of artwork featuring these two favorites. St. Helens is the only volcano I've hiked all the way up to the summit.
(I'm not as tough as I'm trying to make you think.)
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VOLCANOES IMMORTALIZED ON VASES
I did not only draw or paint volcanoes on paper or canvas. I also hand-carved and
hand-painted them on ceramic vessels. My handcrafted ceramic vessels were represented by Violeta of California at its showroom/gallery in Los Angeles.
Some of my vases are still available for collectors.
Some of my vases are still available for collectors.
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| Three vases -- part of my collection displayed in my studio/gallery |
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| Two vases -- part of my collection displayed in my studio/gallery |
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| One vase (front and side) -- (Private Collection) |
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| MOUNT ST. HELENS (State of Washington) |
Collection: Displayed in my studio/gallery in CA
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My volcano art carved on ceramics vessels.
(Private collection)
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| MT RAINIER |
(A view from Paradise)
Glaciers are among the most conspicuous and dynamic geologic features on Mount Rainier. . . .and I'm petrified of them, not to mention my issue with the altitude. As a result, I struggled to climb it, settling at Camp Muir (10,000 feet) while the others went all the way to the top. It was the highest I've ever climbed and vowed never to do again. St. Helens was acceptable because of her much shorter stature at 8,000 feet. However, my fear and apprehension for being so high up on Camp Muir was overshadowed by the spectacular beauty of my surroundings. Just imagine a panoramic view of a procession of volcanoes starring St. Helens, Mt. Hood and Baker, especially at sunset. My mountaineering group (after Michael and I broke up) stayed overnight at Camp Muir, and I will never forget the deep level of spirituality and consciousness that enveloped me at that time as I stared at the heavens. The constellations were so prominent, as if they'd all come a lot closer to earth, and of course they were--10,000 feet closer, but looked dramatically much closer. "My God, oh my God," I kept murmuring to myself.
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| STARS IN MY EYES BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH |
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| "I WANT TO WALK WITH YOU ON THE MOUNTAIN"
(Oil on canvas, 24x28, ca. 2004, private collection)
This is my romanticized impression of the trail leading us to one of the mountains.
The title is inspired by one of my favorite songs by Savage Gardens' --
"Truly, Madly, Deeply"
I want to walk with you on the mountain,
I want to bathe with you in the sea,
I want to lay like this forever,
Until the sky falls down over me.
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| Michael, also luxuriating in the beauty of his surroundings. |
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| MOUNT BAKER (State of Washington) |
I remember the long drive from Seattle to Mount Baker, but oh, the trek offered some of America's most breathtakingly beautiful sceneries -- high jagged peaks, ridges, slopes, and countless cascading waterfalls. Baker's ice-clad summit from the distance was exciting and spectacular. Located north of Washington, it seemed so isolated from the rest of the volcanoes.
It took forever to get there, and by that time, it was getting late in the afternoon; therefore, our hiking time was limited for we had not planned to camp out in the park. Baker is a gorgeous volcano. As you can see from the drawing above, it was as if the whole mountain was shrouded
in liquefied marshmallows. Second only to Rainier, it's the most glaciated volcano in the Cascades range.
It took forever to get there, and by that time, it was getting late in the afternoon; therefore, our hiking time was limited for we had not planned to camp out in the park. Baker is a gorgeous volcano. As you can see from the drawing above, it was as if the whole mountain was shrouded
in liquefied marshmallows. Second only to Rainier, it's the most glaciated volcano in the Cascades range.
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| MT. WASHINGTON (State of Oregon) |
MT. SHASTA (State of California)
At 14,179 feet, gorgeous Shasta is the second highest peak in the Cascades. A poet wrote about Shasta these words: "Lonely as God, and white as a winter moon, Mount Shasta starts up sudden and solitary from the heart of the great black forests of Northern California." Shasta has four overlapping volcanic cones, which could make it confusing when viewing your photographs if you forget to label them (yep, it happened to me). Some pictures would show one classic shape of a symmetrical volcano, then from a different lookout, you'd see a second summit that almost looks like another mountain (Shastina). The last significant eruption on Mount Shasta occurred in 1786.
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| MT. JEFFERSON (State of Oregon) |
At 10,497 feet, this mountain, which was named by Lewis and Clark in honor of President Thomas Jefferson, is the second tallest volcano in Oregon. I've never actually hiked this volcano because of its location, which is in a very rugged wilderness and is one of most difficult volcanoes to reach. This drawing was executed from a lookout. It was a fantastic sight.
GLACIER PEAK (State of Washington)
Glacier Peak (10,431) is second only to St. Helens in eruptive history, having erupted in the last 200 years. It is the second closest to Seattle (70 miles), but not an easy volcano to reach because of lack of roads to lead you there. I remember having to walk very far just to get to the park, but oh, was it ever worth it.
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MORE IMAGES (Descriptions will follow)
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| THE OLYMPICS (State of Washington)
We didn't hike volcanoes only as you can see from the following images. Anything with trails we trekked. The Olympics were magnificent.
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| When I paint, I usually have a separate canvas or board for use with the leftover paints on the palette. The result is something like this; consequently, I would make it into something good. Well, this one is still waiting for more time and leftover paints. |
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(Michael on top of the world with Mt. Rainier in the far distance)
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WHITE HORSE VOLCANO (Canada)
While living in Seattle, we visited Canada often. White Horse Bluff (2,543) in British Columbia
was the only active volcano we hiked in Canada.
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| A LUSH MEADOW AT MT. RAINIER |
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| CHRISTIE FALLS -- one of the waterfalls at Mt. Rainier |
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| SNOQUALMIE FALLS and SALISH LODGE (where "Twin Peaks" was filmed) |
MISCELLANEOUS COLORED PENCIL DRAWINGS FROM MY TRAVELS
(TO BE CONTINUED)
