Gratitude Magma

The project began with fascination toward the intense colors and chemical complexity of Yellowstone’s calderas, particularly the Grand Prismatic Spring. While researching the science behind the caldera’s color patterns, geothermal activity, and layered magma chambers, I became interested in how something so visually explosive is actually the result of slow, patient, and precise chemical and geological processes.

This scientific narrative became a metaphor for gratitude:
not loud or instant, but something that accumulates through lived experiences, reflection, and emotional awareness, until it finally radiates outward.

1. Scientific Research

• Yellowstone’s magma chambers (granitic vs. basaltic magma)

• Chemical reactions responsible for caldera color variation

• Slow pressure buildup versus catastrophic eruption narratives

2. Visual & Emotional Moodboarding

• Organic color gradients inspired by geothermal pools

• Soft diffusion and glow to suggest warmth and emotional release

The moodboard allowed me to translate science into emotional language: How does magma feel, not just how does it look?

3. Conceptual Metaphor Development

I developed the narrative of gratitude as magma:

• Built slowly

• Invisible at first

• Powerful but not destructive

• Transformational when released

I chose to create an abstract, emotional interpretation of Yellowstone, transforming the caldera into a symbolic emotional core, or “gratitude magma,” to communicate place, emotion, and energy at the same time.