The moody, gray skies of winter remind me of the work of American painter, Jon Schueler (1916-1992). A student of Clyfford Still and Richard Diebenkorn, Schueler painted large-scale, abstract works. One of the reasons I appreciate Schueler’s work is his love of the sky. His interest in the ever-changing moods of clouds was first sparked when he served as a flight navigator during WWII. Later, in 1957, he visited Mallaig, Scotland, and was so inspired by the dramatic weather over the Sound of Sleat, he returned again and again. The Mallaig landscape became the source of much of his work. As he wrote in a letter:
“…in many ways the sky became nature to me. And when I think of the sky, I think of the Scottish sky over Mallaig…I studied the Mallaig sky so intently, and I found in its convulsive movement and change and drama such a concentration of activity that it became all skies and even the idea of all nature to me.”
Schueler’s painting isn’t always successful but I admire his ambition, his ‘weathering’ spirit, and the beauty of a number of his paintings, such as the ones posted below. You can find more information and images at http://www.jonschueler.com/
