Sandra Pratt

Before the Storm - Contemporary Landscape/Skyscape, Oil Painting on Canvas

2025

There are moments in nature when the atmosphere itself becomes the landscapewhen clouds mass and roil with such presence that the earth below feels small and humbled. This painting captures that dramatic tension, the electrical anticipation that fills the air when weather is about to turn. The sky dominates here, as it should. I built these clouds with aggressive, sweeping gestures, layering cool grays and warm whites to create depth and volume within the atmosphere. Each stroke follows the invisible currents of wind, the churn and tumble of moisture-laden air. This is not the peaceful drift of fair-weather clouds, but something more urgentthe gathering force of a system moving in, the moment when light goes flat and pewter, and you can almost taste the rain that hasn't yet fallen. Below this turbulent ceiling, the golden hills offer a stark contrast in their solidity and warmth. They stand patient and unchanging, having witnessed countless storms sweep across their flanks. The foreground water reflects the weight of the sky above, its surface broken into bands of muted color that echo the horizontal calm before the vertical drama. This piece explores the sublime power of weather, the way it can make us feel both vulnerable and alive. It's a reminder that we are always at the mercy of forces larger than ourselves, and there is a strange beauty in that surrenderin watching the sky gather its strength and knowing that all we can do is witness.