As she laid out on the beach, Kanasta contemplated the situation she'd been tossed into. She rested her chin against her hand and thought silently to herself.

"This sucks. I thought this was supposed to be a cruise vacation. The boat had everything... Delicious food, bedding fit for royalty, and a gorgeous view of the ocean as far as the eye could see. Then Mother Nature decided to ruin it all by tossing us on this God-forsaken island. Now the ship's damaged beyond repair, our rations are severely limited, we've got no where to sleep... I should have just stayed home with Chaz."

The bronzed beauty let out an exasperated sigh, and turned to look at her surroundings. On one side of her was a picturesque view of the ocean they had been sailing through just the day before. On the other side, an enormous island jungle filled to the brim with all manner of flora and foliage, and no doubt littered with creatures great and small. She closed her eyes for a bit, and took the knowledge of it all in. Then, with a deep breath, she acknowledged that there was still much left to see, and even more to do. These girls that she'd come along with all seemed kind, each one more unique than the next. And much of this uncharted island paradise remained to be explored.

As she turned to face the ocean again, her expression became a mix of calm serenity and anxious excitement. "Perhaps I judged this place too quickly," she said aloud with a smile. "This place might have something to offer yet."

So, lying on the warm sands and allowing the crisp ocean breeze to hit her face, Kanasta decided to embrace her predicament as something potentially fun and exciting. And there she remained, completely unaware that she had caught the eyes of an island native...

This was my first completed image for ~CheshireCatNY's STRANDED! Summer Swimsuit Spectacular! project. It was the first time I'd ever been asked to take part in any major art project, and namely one of this nature. I'm quite honored to have garnered the attention of a renowned artist such as CC, to work alongside him and many other big names. I had my fun with this. This image in particular was intended to be a centerfold, but as it turns out, since I'd drawn it in horizontal fashion, it became a two-page spread. The image that made it into the actual collaboration was in a postcard format, with a decorative border and writing by Kanasta herself. This is the full-sized version, the way I intended it to look. I hope you all enjoy.

Kanasta © Zach Mansfield