Shawn McNulty
Acrylic on Cradled Board
10×10”
2025

Tidepool is an original abstract painting on cradled board by visual artist Shawn McNulty. This painting is is 1.5″ deep with pine edges, and ready to hang with wire on the back.

The Story of the Makapuʻu Tidepools and a Painting Called Tidepool

Name: Tidepool
SKU: 7398
Availability: InStock

If you’ve ever driven along the southeastern coast of Oʻahu, you know how the scenery can stop you in your tracks. The turquoise waters, the rugged cliffs, and the panoramic views make the Makapuʻu area one of the most breathtaking spots on the island. But tucked beneath those cliffs, away from the main tourist paths, lies a hidden natural wonder: the Makapuʻu tidepools. These pools have become a favorite for adventurous locals and visitors alike, and over time, they’ve built up a reputation as both a natural treasure and a place of risk and respect.

The tidepools have also sparked artistic inspiration. One colorful abstract painting, simply titled Tidepool, captures the feeling of standing at the edge of those rocks, watching the light dance across the water. It’s a reminder that places like Makapuʻu don’t just exist in nature—they live on in memory, culture, and creativity.

A Landscape Shaped by Lava and Waves

The Makapuʻu tidepools sit at the base of sea cliffs formed by ancient volcanic activity. When Oʻahu’s southeastern shoreline was shaped thousands of years ago, lava flows hardened into black rock that has been battered by waves ever since. Over time, pockets formed in the rocks, creating pools that fill with seawater during high tide.

What makes them special isn’t just their geological origin, but the way they interact with the ocean around them. At low tide, the pools become calm windows into a miniature underwater world. You can peer in and see sea urchins, small fish, colorful algae, and other marine life thriving in these sheltered spaces. At high tide, waves crash over the rocks, sending sprays of saltwater across the pools, constantly refreshing them.

The word Makapuʻu itself means “bulging eye” in Hawaiian, a reference to a natural feature in the cliffs. The tidepools sit below the Makapuʻu Lighthouse Trail, one of the most popular hikes on the island. While thousands of people take the paved trail to the lighthouse for the views, fewer venture down the steep, rocky path to the tidepools below.

Risk and Reward

Part of the lore of the Makapuʻu tidepools is the balance between beauty and danger. On calm days, the pools can feel like paradise—warm, clear, and quiet, with views stretching out to the horizon. But the ocean here is powerful and unpredictable. Rogue waves can sweep across the rocks without warning, and rescues are not uncommon.

Because of this, the tidepools have become a kind of rite of passage for those who want to experience Oʻahu beyond the typical postcard beaches. People who make the trek learn quickly to respect the ocean, to check conditions, and to recognize that Hawaiʻi’s beauty often comes with a reminder of its raw, untamed force.

A Place of Inspiration

For artists, the Makapuʻu tidepools are more than just natural pools—they’re symbols of contrast. The deep blues and greens of the water, the black volcanic rock, and the white foam of the crashing surf create a color palette that feels almost unreal. It’s easy to understand why someone would want to capture that energy on canvas.

The abstract painting Tidepool draws directly from these contrasts. Instead of a literal depiction, the work bursts with swirls of turquoise, emerald, and sapphire, broken up by jagged strokes of black and white. Looking at it, you can almost feel the water shifting within the rock, alive with movement even when it seems still.

Abstract art works this way—it captures the feeling of a place rather than the exact image. Where a photograph might show you the rocks and waves, a painting like Tidepool lets you tap into the sensation of being there: the salt in the air, the sun on your skin, and the quiet thrill of standing at the edge of something powerful.

History and Community

The tidepools, like so many parts of Hawaiʻi, also have a deeper cultural context. The coastline has long been part of the fishing and gathering traditions of Native Hawaiians. Tidepools across the islands were historically places to find limu (seaweed), opihi (limpets), and small fish, resources that were carefully harvested with respect for the balance of nature. While the Makapuʻu tidepools are now more of a recreational destination, they’re still part of that broader story of Hawaiʻi’s relationship with the ocean.

Local families sometimes share stories of coming here in quieter times, before Instagram turned the tidepools into a bucket-list stop. For them, these spots hold memories not just of beauty, but of connection—between generations, between land and sea, and between people and the places that sustain them.

The Tidepool as Metaphor

What’s fascinating about the tidepools is how they symbolize both stillness and change. At first glance, they look calm, like isolated pockets of water cut off from the ocean. But in reality, they’re constantly refreshed, influenced by every wave, every tide, every shift in the wind. They’re small, yet connected to the infinite.

The painting Tidepool leans into this metaphor. Its shifting colors suggest motion even within a fixed frame, just like the pools themselves. It’s the kind of artwork that draws you in the longer you look, as if you’re staring into your own private piece of the ocean.

A Lasting Impression

The Makapuʻu tidepools may not be the safest or easiest place to reach, but that’s part of their mystique. They’re a reminder that Hawaiʻi’s magic isn’t always on the surface—it sometimes requires effort, humility, and a willingness to stand in awe of nature. For those who make the climb down and back up, the experience lingers like salt spray on your skin.

And for those who can’t make the trek, works of art like Tidepool bring that experience into homes and galleries, translating the raw beauty of the Makapuʻu tidepools into a form that can be revisited again and again.

Whether in nature or on canvas, the tidepools are a reminder of what happens when color, energy, and spirit collide—a little piece of the ocean, captured in time.