anonyrrie: Illustration Friday - Trouble

Monday, October 09, 2006

Illustration Friday - Trouble


Storm Warnings

The glass has been falling all the afternoon,
And knowing better than the instrument
What winds are walking overhead, what zone
Of grey unrest is moving across the land,
I leave the book upon a pillowed chair
And walk from window to closed window, watching
Boughs strain against the sky

And think again, as often when the air
Moves inward toward a silent core of waiting,
How with a single purpose time has traveled
By secret currents of the undiscerned
Into this polar realm. Weather abroad
And weather in the heart alike come on
Regardless of prediction.

Between foreseeing and averting change
Lies all the mastery of elements
Which clocks and weatherglasses cannot alter.
Time in the hand is not control of time,
Nor shattered fragments of an instrument
A proof against the wind; the wind will rise,
We can only close the shutters.

I draw the curtains as the sky goes black
And set a match to candles sheathed in glass
Against the keyhole draught, the insistent whine
Of weather through the unsealed aperture.
This is our sole defense against the season;
These are the things we have learned to do
Who live in troubled regions.

-Adrienne Rich (1929 - )

The trouble here is not having enough time to paint and read and interact as much as I would like, but somehow I did manage this painting.
(acrylic on 12" x 16" canvas)

43 Comments:

Blogger Ellen said...

Beautiful work! You really captured the 'feel' of an oncoming storm!

11:29 AM  
Blogger Geninne said...

WOW Carla, this painting is SPECTACUALR!!! The colors are amazing and I LOVE it!

11:53 AM  
Blogger andrea said...

I see you've been working hard. This is lovely -- the way you've softened the foliage against the solidity of the house is very well done.

12:39 PM  
Blogger Willie Baronet said...

Nice. And if anyone should know about trouble, it's you. :-)

1:10 PM  
Blogger melinda beavers said...

Hi Carla! I've had a busying summer, I've been away from IF for a long time... and look what I've missed! You've been busy too!! Your new work is beautiful and so different! This piece is just wonderful and the colors are extraordinary.

1:29 PM  
Blogger Designing Fairy said...

beautiful piece...I feel the calm before the storm just from the colors and the feeling.

1:33 PM  
Blogger Jules said...

Hi Carla:

This is great. I love the colours - especially the filed in the foreground.

1:37 PM  
Blogger TheTart said...

Looks quite inviting to me ... a book, a quilt & a pie. Hmmm, lovely place to be.

Very pretty!

Smooch,
The Tart

2:00 PM  
Blogger Colorsonmymind said...

Terrific again. I think these paintings would make a great gallery one woman show.

2:19 PM  
Blogger Amy Zaleski said...

Hi Carla~ good to see you back on the boards! And with such a wonderfully rich piece. I can feel the electricity in the air...and I love the brush strokes on the grass. This looks like it would be a peaceful place after the storm...

2:22 PM  
Blogger Angela Wales Rockett said...

Beautiful painting, and such ominous clouds! Nicely done.

2:33 PM  
Blogger steve said...

Time to hide indoors! The calm before the storm--great painting.

2:39 PM  
Blogger ° said...

simply gorgous

5:13 PM  
Blogger Tony LaRocca said...

Storm's a brewin', Maw! I love all the energy in the sky just before a storm- you've captured it perfectly.

5:45 PM  
Blogger murphy girl said...

beautiful.

9:15 PM  
Blogger Valaine said...

I love the colors and the textures great painting, gives me a feeling that something is about happen!

10:03 PM  
Blogger Twisselman said...

I like the whole, especially the reds in the grasses in the foreground... and the passage captures the whole feel. Here the south winds blow slightly warmer in signaling an oncoming storm. Shore up the fences.

11:32 PM  
Blogger Catalina said...

love the colours and the mood! really feels like been there!

2:52 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Beautiful, both the painting and the poem. You can really tell the storm is coming, I could almost feel it. It's amazing, almost spooky, how quiet it can get before the storm hits.

I haven't had much time or energy over for painting lately either, but I'm slowly getting back on track. I was happy to finally be able to participate in IF again, after a few weeks abscence - I've missed it! :)

7:49 AM  
Blogger Heartful said...

Carla, wonderful work as usual.

7:57 AM  
Blogger flossy-p said...

oooo this is lovely! I can really feel the weight of that heavy sky, about to break the peace and quiet.

9:10 AM  
Blogger Aravis said...

This is really beautiful, carla, and it's wonderful to see you again.

My very first thought was that this reminded me of Andrew Wyeth, though upon closer inspection it has its own distinct style. The poem, too, reminded me of Wyeth, specifically Chambered Nautilus. But then, maybe I've just got Wyeth on the brain this morning. At any rate, that's meant to be a compliment; he's a favorite of mine. :0)

9:20 AM  
Blogger Stacia said...

Beautiful painting! The colors are striking! I love it when it gets dark right before a storm...very ominous.

8:10 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

beautiful!! And anne rich -- perfect!!

10:41 PM  
Blogger Janet said...

Oh, don't go inside just yet! This is the sort of "storm's a brewin" sky you want to enjoy til the last minute...

11:06 PM  
Blogger Weichuen You said...

Wow Carla, I haven't seen your works for a while and I can feel the change of style. This piece seems to be calmer, or heavier in color than in the past. But I like it none the less!

5:28 AM  
Blogger Lee said...

that's beautiful Carla and I'm always a sucker for Adrienne Rich :)

6:32 AM  
Blogger Liz Jones said...

Ilove this! This is my favorite kind of fall sky! Everything looks so much brighter against the grey...

12:45 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

reminds me of the wizard of oz. very lovely colors!

2:00 PM  
Blogger Ces Adorio said...

I love the way you did the cottage. It is so bright and it is surounded by the sbdued colors. Beautiful!

2:45 PM  
Blogger sage said...

very gorgeous!

4:57 PM  
Blogger isay said...

i have looked at this painting for a long time. it is really beautiful. i like the shades of colors you have used for the grass. i even read the poem so many times because i was onced lived in a trouble region

5:30 AM  
Blogger valerie walsh said...

i love this so much!

2:48 PM  
Blogger Susan Schwake said...

that is a beautiful painting of trouble.
i think that it's colors and movement are very telling. i would run for cover - but want to peek out at those colors still....

2:55 PM  
Blogger Powpourri said...

Great use of values on this one Carla! I love the white of the house against the darks in the background. It also looks like you have gotten a little more free with this one. Still working on that here!

12:40 AM  
Blogger Brian the Mennonite said...

This is really rich, Carla. I love all the peaceful colours. I imagine the lit side of the house to be facing West...just a feeling.

6:57 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Carla,

I like the way you marry prose and visual art. Thanks for sharing your vision.

2:39 PM  
Blogger Joe said...

Love it girl! I so look forward to seeing your work. I've been doing some cotrack work with a friend and time is short these days. Have a good week!

4:22 PM  
Blogger Regina said...

I know how you feel about not having enough time. Glad you had time to paint this- it's wonderful.

1:05 AM  
Blogger Tony Merrithew said...

Nice paintings, I love your work.

11:52 PM  
Blogger bronxbt said...

hi! found you off fingerhutts site and followed some comment threads!

amazing work ! love your brush strokes and emotive paintings!

please swing by any of my 3 sites (somethinsketchy is my art one) and feel free to comment!

i welcome all, and would love to keep in touch with your site and you!

wonderful stuff... i especially love your more 'comic work' like your recent illustration friday piece.

So cool!

Bronxbt

4:54 PM  
Blogger Babe in the Woods said...

OH MY GOODNESS, this is just beautiful. I would hang this on my wall, I love it so much.

5:34 PM  
Blogger The Crafty-Girl™ said...

gorgeous! beautiful mix of warm and cool colors...makes for a lovely seasonal snapshot.

6:00 PM  

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