Saturday, March 14, 2009

March roars in...

Toto 2 (for Peter)

With your dangerous beauty you
are like unto a tornado,
touching down,
laying waste to trepidation...

I am drawn, into your world,
seeking an Oz of my own.
Let me trade silver
for your ruby set in gold.

I look for you in the yellow moon
while the wind and City take you,
and the lies unfold,
I'll have this twisted ache to hold.

- patrice lynne young 2006

My fascination with funnel clouds and wild weather can be traced back to my Midwestern childhood in Central Illinois. and I've been working on several storm paintings once again. Two new ones posted here may be finished - but I'll live with them for a little while and check them out in different light before I seal them and prepare the panels for hanging. These are each 24 x 24. I've several more of these panels and I'd like to do at least six - preferably twelve - more of these to exhibit together.

I'd been working on the next Black Bird/ Wind paintings and thought that's what I'd be doing all this week. Ah, but painting mood changes sometimes to reflect events in life. Most of the time I love my rural solitude, but sometimes I wish I had better neighbors. After a verbal altercation with one of a family of bullies, I went from a fowl mood to a foul mood. I sat down to paint under a cloud of piss-ed-ness - and this is what appeared on my panel... Sometimes I'm really easy to figure out.

I like the first painting above most. It's fluidity of brushwork is closer to the wild, uncontrollable feeling I wish to portray. But there is something I like about the contained ferocity of the second one, too.

There is a fierce beauty in a storm, just as there is in life.

19 comments:

Roy said...

Wow! Very intense. Do these portray a personal experience?

Patrice said...

Roy - you snuck in a comment while I was editing...

Yes - and no. I've been through a couple of tornadoes (Tree came through the roof and wall right over the kitchen table where my mother had us kids huddled)but no injuries suffered. I'm always the last one to "get inside" before a storm hits. I can't resist them. Perhaps it's the vortex drawing me in.

Kathi said...

Wow. I love that second one! I can see the calm before the storm! Amazing work!

Patricia said...

I like them both. The first is more fluid and draws the eye up through it in a very dramatic but deliberate way. The second has that ominous shadow that's very evocative. I'd love to see them in person.

artbyjune said...

I really love these weather-storm paintings, Patrice. You get a real sense of the expanse of the landscape from them. I envy you your rural retreat. I am stuck here in the middle of the city. We are never satisfied with our lot!! Today it is sunny so I am feeling good actually. Catch you later.

Stephen Dell'Aria said...

They are both beautiful. I like the second one partucularly, the presence of the ominous cloud gathering over the landscape as if some battle is about to erupt. I like that combination of elements. Perhaps it's the expansiveness of the view I react to. The first one I like also, it takes on a mythical status, as if this was a storm recorded in history.

Ima Wizer said...

Patrice I love both paintings but the second one does have more emotion! Some of my best work comes from being Pissdov at someone, ha!

kim denise said...

I love wild weather and these paintings evoke that mad attractive energy!

Patrice said...

Interesting responses...

Zen -(seeing them in person) (heh) you mean the paintings or the storms? I'd like to see them in person too. (I think).

June - Having been a city girl for many years, I do understand...

Stephen - Mythical - yes, that's just it.

Ima - perhaps I should provoke the bullies more often? (heh)

Kathi - and all - Thank you so much!

Paintings by Irit Bourla said...

WOW this is beautiful the way you painted the stormy weather.
The 2nd one is amaizing my favorit..I love green thats why.
Very powerful.

Kim said...

hi Patrice
wonderful atmosphere in these works!!
you are the Featured Artist this week at Top Artists Directory..
cheers Kim

TSL said...

You received a lot of wows, here is another version, "wow-wee!" These are great! Congrats on being featured artist!

Patricia said...

The paintings was what I meant. I have mixed feelings about being up close and personal with the actual storms. From a safe vantage point, sure. But there's no downside to viewing a painting.

Dean H. said...

Good work, Patrice! Both are authentically stormy feeling, but I'm drawn to the first. It pulls my vision up...it actually gives the feeling that I'm looking upward into the turbulent sky!

butterfly woman said...

Hi Patrice,
Miss you and your paintings over at CCS. So thought I'd stop by and say Hi here. Love, love your storm paintings. Seems like you were able to transform some emotion into it. Yes, the tornados in Illinois are crazy. But I love to stand outside and watch those wild green skies. Anyway, just thinking of you, happy creating and seems you are doing quite well.
Take care.
Bev

Shayla said...

They're great. I'm especially drawn in by the second one-so atmospheric. It feels more familiar, never having seen a tornado.

Shayla said...

Wait, I guess I have seen a tornado. I don't know- there must be a 'je ne sais quoi' about the second one.

Anonymous said...

Tornados are my fascination and my nightmare, my heart-pounding recurring dream.

It is a testiment to you that your painting makes my heart pound.

If I were to hang any painting of my number-one phobia on my living room wall, it would be this one. :)

pattrsnd said...

Hi Patrice...thanks for the lovely comments on my blog...I love it when you do these types of paintings! They're so full of movement and wonder!

David