In this painting I was interested in the idea of art creating a world that momentarily exists to the viewer. Just for a moment your eyes walk the streets, go into the buildings; feel the approaching rainstorm in the air, smell the salt of the sea. The mind wonders back to reality with the slightly melancholy fact that this town does not exist, nor has it ever.
I personally love the feeling of approaching rainstorms. This unnamed town cant see the rainstorm approaching because of its position on the mountainside, but I'm sure if you were on the streets you could feel it. The relatively calm sea (calm before the storm), made for an easy trip for the person in the yellow rowboat, who looks like they were just at the town across the harbor. Which town they call home is unknown even to me. At first I had the sea crashing with waves, it matched the swirling turmoil of the thundercloud. But after painting over it and noticing the calm, tranquil feeling of the sea, I left it in a state of momentary serenity. Ive also recently had a great interest in Japanese art, especially that of Hokusai. I believe some of his works have had a slight influence on this piece especially.
The town itself is reminiscent of the Cinque Terre region of Italy. The buildings clinging to the sides of mountains plummeting into the sea. The buildings themselves I added very light elements of Asian and Islamic architecture.
In a lot of my recent paintings I show a sun that is either setting or rising. In the painting I complete before this one, "Chiron Serenading The Autumn Woods", the sun is a morning sun, heralding a new day and season. Ive been asked if it is setting or rising in this work, I believe it is setting. I love the rain at night.
