A square of weather and meditation. As a child I never ever painted on a square surface. I have grown to appreciate the format in my later days. Square is so void as to feel extra blank. Now I find myself enjoying the possibilities.
We had a pretty loud lightning and hail storm on Lake Pend Oreille yesterday. A little bit of excitement as winter slowly gives up the ghost.
A brand new painting in the studio. This one has a real presence in person, almost audible. Probably my favorite recent title as well…
From my studio I can see smoke tendrils rising from the mountains. Larger plumes of smoke in the area are adding to the constant pollution. We were fortunate to get a couple days of rain recently. It was magical and smelled so good. I didn’t want it to stop.
A small painting on the easel in my studio today. I am working on a number of smaller pieces at the moment. Larger work will follow.
The rain and sun of spring are a source of inspiration. I decided to break down the imagery into something of an abstracted pattern. The result is a bit hypnotic and perhaps meditative.
The paint is often the subject of my work as much as any imagery.
In my life I have felt like a negative soul. Still it seems the act of creation is an act of optimism.
What can I tell you, I like clouds. A close up on one catching the last light. Though the days are getting a bit longer the sun is still low. Often clouds seem to be the only ones enjoying the sunshine.
I have a number of 30″x24″ panels primed for painting, I love working at this scale. Large enough that you have a sense of freedom moving around the surface but not so large that it is awkward in the studio. I did have to stand on a chair to get far enough away for a photo, so a little awkward!
I am pretty obsessed with brooding epic scenes. I keep getting wound up about new ideas but I realize this is a common thread.
Low clouds and limited distance create a feeling of infinity. A sense of the unknown that I really enjoy. This time of year it is a prelude to the coming snows of winter.
Watching snow fall on a stormy lake is one of my favorite things about winter… certainly better than shoveling snow!
brian sostrom 