The Rising of the Storm

Acrylic on Canvas 91 x 61 cm

Painted using fluid thin layers of ink and acrylic paint overlaid with thickly applied acrylic using a palette knife this image reminds me of wild exhilarating walks along the shore where I grew up. Ambling home from school and squealing in delight as the breakers crashed over the rocks soaking my friends, and me! All our polished black school shoes were rimmed with white salt from dried sea water.
Shoe cleaning with thick black polish was a common chore.

Two verses of the poem ‘The Rising of the Storm’, after which I titled of my painting, by Paul Laurence Dunbar
make me smile and recall those youthful carefree days.

Now the winds well up
From the earth’s deep cup,
And fall on the sea and shore,
And against the pier
The waters rear
And break with a sullen roar.

And the waters leapt,
And the wild winds swept,
And blew the moon in the sky,
And I laughed with glee,
It was joy to me
As the storm went raging by!