Thursday, March 21, 2013

Heat Lightning-Shasta Bally

Shasta Bally is the hulking mountain that dominates Whiskeytown Calif. Two years ago I was driving over a pass in the Trinity mountains and saw heat lighting over this peak. I think it is just an electrical storm too far away to hear the thunder, but we called it heat lightning in New Mexico. On a spring evening, the storms over the Sangre de Christo mountains would flash and illuminate the clouds purple. Across the valley, thunderstorms would be sparking the night over the Jemez mountains. Such a beautiful sight! and unfortunately one I never see in western Oregon. This is a second version, the first was a watercolor done the day after that memorable ride.
oil on canvas 36"x36"
My friend Lyn Relph has written a fascinating book about 'experience' as a way of 'knowing' rather than through received knowledge. The connections he makes between science, philosophy, the arts, religion, and technology throughout human history is truly provocative. I`m reading it a second time and not even a friend would do that if it wasn`t great.
Our Experience, Ourselves

1 comment:

RH Carpenter said...

The mark-making in both of these paintings - the oil and watercolor - are excellent. It makes the objects look like laced pieces lying on top of one another. And now I have another book to add to my wish list (I did purchase Mink River but have not read it yet - am reading Louise Erdrich's Round House right now.)