This is from 59 steps (another prime number) further along the artistic journey. I was still feeling my way in 1977 after the passing of Mario Airomi in 1976.
A seascape off the coast of Oregon, USA in the fall of 1977. The Pacific ocean extends as far as the eye can see and beyond. One would think that something so immense would be beyond the influence of human activities. Of course this is not the case with the impacts of climate change and pollution becoming better understood. Sea levels are on the rise as well.
Historically tsunamis are rare in Oregon but since 1812 there have been at least a dozen tsunamis with wave heights greater than 3 feet. The biggest occurred from 1964 Alaskan earthquake causing lots of damage and deaths. Scientists are well aware of the tsunamis threat now and have on-line maps of threatened areas, safe places and critical resources should a 9.1 magnitude earthquake raise the ocean floor by 33 feet. It has happened before according to geological records. It will happen again.
On this autumn day in 1977 these thoughts crossed my mind accentuated by the large and ancient dead stumps and trees. Artistically I was intrigued by the waves and still feeling my way.
When I revisited this painting in 2018 I was struck by how much things have changed. Sea level are going up by 3 mm a year. The end of this century will have average sea levels up by a metre or more although no one really knows for certain and the science is complex. Forecasters are comfortable with such predictions and the benefits they can have if people take action to prevent them from coming true...
Historically tsunamis are rare in Oregon but since 1812 there have been at least a dozen tsunamis with wave heights greater than 3 feet. The biggest occurred from 1964 Alaskan earthquake causing lots of damage and deaths. Scientists are well aware of the tsunamis threat now and have on-line maps of threatened areas, safe places and critical resources should a 9.1 magnitude earthquake raise the ocean floor by 33 feet. It has happened before according to geological records. It will happen again.
On this autumn day in 1977 these thoughts crossed my mind accentuated by the large and ancient dead stumps and trees. Artistically I was intrigued by the waves and still feeling my way.
When I revisited this painting in 2018 I was struck by how much things have changed. Sea level are going up by 3 mm a year. The end of this century will have average sea levels up by a metre or more although no one really knows for certain and the science is complex. Forecasters are comfortable with such predictions and the benefits they can have if people take action to prevent them from coming true...
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