Piece of the Week: “Storm Rising”

With all the rain over the last few weeks, it’s only fitting that this week’s feature piece would be one of David’s storm themed works. In “Storm Rising” David blends together dark gray with deep purples and royal blues to capture the beauty of a brewing storm. The whole scene is crafted in such a way that suggests a role as spectator, rather than participant.

Although “Storm Rising’s” distant clouds are temperamental with rain, the clarity and brightness of the foreground provide a sense of security and separation from the threatening sky. Additionally, the movement of the clouds is distinctly lateral – the storm is not encroaching, but passing like a movie. The vantage point is removed, maybe high on bluff. From here, the viewer sees the storm sweep across the valley below, brewing and building power. Lightning illuminates the dark skies, but counting the seconds between flash and thunder confirms the distance is safe.

What David captures in “Storm Rising” is as rare in nature as it is in life. Seldom do we obtain the perspective to see the storm as it passes, in all its awesome and terrifying power, without succumbing to fear. David seems to be reminding us all of the paradox of perception. From the valley, the storm is frightful, menacing; but from another point of view its power is all brilliance and splendor. The unspoken challenge from “Storm Rising” is to approach life’s storms, both real and figurative, not with fear, but with awe.