Hawaiian Beauty 

Rolf Armstrong created "Hawaiian Beauty" using pastels, a medium which walks a line between drawing and painting. Pastels have a fascinating history; favored by artists like Degas for their immediacy and vibrant color, they offer a direct connection to the hand. Here, Armstrong coaxes the powdery pigment to life, building up layers of soft hues to depict the woman's skin and the cascade of flowers. Notice how the texture of the pastel creates a velvety surface, almost like skin itself. The choice of a warm, earthy ground further enhances the sensuality of the image. But it is important to remember that images like these were made in a specific context. Pin-up art like Armstrong's, mass-produced and widely disseminated, contributed to the construction of an idealized, often exoticized, vision of femininity. So, while we can appreciate the artist's technical skill, we should also consider the wider social forces at play in the making and consumption of such images.