After the sun I turn back to see a black cloud, churning from within, moving quickly, warning me. The sky above is an eerie shade of blue and the water has changed its hue to stony greys and deepest blackest blue…the water recedes under the bridges-it pulls away from the shores. Then it is the wind picking up speed and power. I want to turn away from the dark water and the approaching sky. It seems the storm is coming with the sky.

Darkness comes quickly; it is imminent danger as it envelopes and indulges our senses. There is nothing we can do to change its course. It is a metaphor for life as we know it to be in 2010. Distant Early Warning. It is the darkness of our energy in difficult times, whooshing through and around us, as we run for cover. The storm washes over us and we are not heard.

Through my art, I have been exploring atmospheric events and weather related phenomenon for close to 10 years. It began with an intense interest in lightning storms where an exhilarating body of works on paper developed. From there my attentions turned to fireworks displays, giving way to a series of monoprints, etchings and encaustics on the subject of celebrations. Paintings of illuminated bridges from international travels helped to further my art experience. The recent activity around Queens, New York was not only a new experience for me-but it swept me up and sort of abruptly stole me away from any other idea I could ever have come up with. I experienced this tornado myself that day in the fall of 2010. It passed right by my windows with such force and fury. I couldn’t take my eyes off of this incoming storm yet knew I could be in danger if I stayed outside taking photographs. I peeked from behind my couch, recording the event in my head like picture frames, sneaking in a few more pictures.

A recurring theme in my work is illumination and how an artist can bring that light to the canvas, paper, or print. Bringing this light to the canvas is my goal as an artist. A dark sensual earthy color is applied to the canvas and from this imprimatur, this under painting, emerges the storm just as it comes out of the sky, leaving its mark on my work.

After the Storm	Before the Storm	Floating Sky
Storm Warning	Tornado I	Tornado II
Tornado III	Tornado IV