Thunderers 1920

Frank Johnston’s “Thunderers” seems to be about the sky as the place where weather happens. The land and the lake are just quiet horizontal lines. Look closely, and you’ll see this is achieved through the way the paint has been applied. The heavy impasto of the clouds, layered on top of each other, contrasts with the thin, washy strokes of the water. The paint handling really emphasizes the weight and volume of the sky, like it’s bearing down on the land below. I keep thinking about the mark-making itself. Like, you can almost see Johnston standing there, brush in hand, layering and layering, trying to capture the immensity of those clouds. It reminds me of Constable. His cloud studies are so evocative. Both artists make you feel the weather. It’s all about embracing the fleeting moment, the ever-changing drama of the sky.