Homer Watson, the Canadian painter, believed in the mystical relationship between man, nature and the spirit and one can see his expression in a number of landscapes of rural areas. The artist explores the mystical concerns as he embraces the spirits doctrine through his paintings. His paintings reflect the mystical side of humanity and his personal confirmation of a spirit world (Bingeman 4). “A Coming Storm in the Adirondacks” is an intense work of art from Homer Watson. The oil on canvas was done in 1879 when the painter was very young and painted this impressive work. As is evident from the title, the scene is from Adirondacks along the Hudson and Susquehanna Rivers (Extended text 2013). The first look of the painting seems to draw you in, and you get closer to the artwork to take in all the details, determined not to miss out on anything. After all, there is a lot to see and observe in “A Coming Storm in the Adirondacks.” Watson has painted minute detail in the landscape. There is a meandering river, rocky cliffs and mountains, bare trees, and a sky downcast with stormy clouds. The way he handles paint appears to be muddled and overworked, and thus account for his mystical intentions. The major elements in the artwork that draw the attention of the viewer are the towering dark mountain, the stormy sky and the river meandering through the rocky ground. The remote landscape in the scene looks isolated and wild. Watson has filled the landscape with a reverential spirit, and the result is that it leaves one in awe and terror of those menacing skies and a spiritual emotion. The rocks along the meandering river are done with precision. The artist has drawn them with perfection, giving them natural hues and tints. The huge rock towards the lower right side of the painting is the largest, and the major light falls around this part, thus illuminating the rocky bed and the river. There are different sized rocks that get smaller with the distance, thus adding perceptively to the artwork. Next, one pays attention to those bare trees lining the two sides of the river. The craggy trees stand mute, waiting for the display of the storms. The artist has made them multi-limbed, thus giving them a special character. The bare trees on each side of this deserted landscape evoke the impending lightning as if waiting for it to strike. It is dramatic how they spread their roots over the rocks and the river bed. The trees further down the river carry some green foliage and cover the rocky part of the mountain. The dark mountain range looks even darker against the glowing stormy clouds. They are harsh and rugged, appear to be made of solid rocks covered with shrubs and trees. The higher end of the mountain thrusts against the sky and almost seems to touch those stormy clouds. The dark, towering mountain commands the attention of the viewer as the storm hides behind, it, ready to unleash its fury. The river is done in a green tone and looks shadow. It takes on an eerie color because of the dark sky. The broad river disappears at the other end as it enters the rocky cliff and mountains. It seems that at that single point, the sky, the mounting and river have become one, as they take on one color. The darker area looks mysterious and terrifying at the same time. The river carries a not too optimistic shade of blues and greens. The sky looks dark and menacing. It threatens to cover the whole landscape with its dark and gloomy shades. There are huge dark clouds everywhere, broken by the eerie white glow behind, just above the mountains. The clouds seem to gather around that bright spot and are done in a shade of blue, green and grays. It seems they are about to burst at any time.
A bear stands, paused in its movement, perhaps disturbed by the threatening storm and its sounds. He is looking at the sky with its head turned slightly upward. He must be a giant sized bear but in the painting, he looks dwarfed by the towering cliff and advancing storm. He looks as if cowering bear and anticipating the worse. Perhaps he heard a thunder roll and was disturbed by it. The powerful forces of nature are at play here. An impending storm and the rocky mountainous landscape convey a strong message by the artist that man and beast are powerless against nature. Watson shows complete control over his use of brush and what he wants to convey. The rocky bed of the river is filled with soft light and makes a contrast with the dark mountains and gray skies. Clearly, he has used a clever interplay of shows and light to create the effect. Looking at the work, it must be late evening. The dark, towering mountain makes a strong presence because of the white glare of the stormy skies. The artists clearly set a stage for his plays of colors, shadows and brush strokes. The viewer waits in anticipation as if something mysterious is going to happen. He looks at the rocky bed of the green tinted river and then to those heavy dark skies, which seem ready to pounce. He makes use of fine brush strokes to get the desired result. He has used the right shade of dark and lighter tints of the same color to give depth, create shadow and lend the natural feel to the landscape. He manages to capture the aesthetics of wilderness.
The main focal point of the landscape by Watson is where the towering dark mountain rises against the eeriest glow of the menacing storm. The artist has been successful in creating the right atmospheric effects that lend a mysterious element to the artwork. The edges of the artwork fade into darkness and the only area with considerable light are the rocks and stones with the bear near the river. Everywhere else, the atmosphere appears thick and mysterious. The river has taken on the dark colors of the raging storm above in the sky. The craggy mountain cliffs give an idea of the storm while obscures what is behind them. The foreground carries the widest range of values as it highlights the rocky, the craggy trees, the bear and the river flowing. The colors of these objects begin to shift once they move back into the distance. The tress, rocks, and the river take on a darker hue, thus becoming one with the darkness in the atmosphere. The objects take on the color of the stormy skies as the atmosphere gets between the viewer and the objects. In short, the color of landscape gets more similar to the color of the sky as it gets distant from the viewer. The lower left side of the artwork carries the greatest clarity s compared to the rest of the canvas. The outlines of the craggy trees are clearer against the darkness as the artists show the glaring light of the storm falling upon them directly.
Watson’s “A Coming Storm in the Adirondacks” exhibits a remarkable variety in composition and creates a powerful artwork. He has used an earthy palette of colors that is natural and yet looks mysterious because of the contrast he makes. The meandering of the river on a rocky bed, the line of craggy and barren trees, jagged and rough mountain cliffs, the glaring stormy clouds and the wild rugged landscape filled with an eerie atmosphere can keep the viewer engaged for hours. It is evident that Watson was preoccupied with the thought of portraying mysticism through this painting and show the powerful forces of nature ready to show their colossal power. The way the artist manipulated the nature’s elements, his choice of colors, and use of impasto dense thick that makes it difficult to see through, speak a lot about his highly impressionistic landscape technique.
Works Cited
Bingeman, Shannon E. "Eventide along the Grand: Homer Watson’s Mystical Landscape." Carleton University 1.1 (2013): 1-95. Print.
"Extended text." virtualexhibition. 2013. Web. 8 March. 2016.
