Storm Over the Pacific

2020 
25 x 41in 
acrylic on masonite

While visiting the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica, I was struck by the enormity and beauty of this storm cell anchored offshore, on an otherwise calm, idyllic day.  From a distance, it is a wonderful form, with beautiful patterns of light and shadow.  However, this beauty changes into something else as the storm moves closer, and the element of danger and destruction becomes very real.  The Brown Pelicans are wisely leaving the scene before disaster hits. They are masters of the air currents that the waves create, and ride the cushion of air just ahead of breaking waves, dipping over to the next wave like surfers.  The idea that something as terrifying as this can appear out of nowhere, and on an ocean called “Pacific”, resonated with me as a metaphor for events in our lives we are powerless to avoid, especially when young.