Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Scribble Picnic - ACROSS THE UNIVERSE

There's a lot going on out in the universe that we don't understand and probably are not even aware of.  Could there be life as we know it on some distant planet?  And if there was, what could we do with that knowledge? Staying a little closer to home, this blue planet in our neck of the universe has many mysteries of it's own that we are still striving to learn about.  How does the whole of the universe affect us here? There are many forces in our own solar system that influence events here on Earth.  So it's not hard to believe that there are forces in the universe that by entering our solar system have an effect on us in turn.  We know that the gravitational pull of the moon controls our tides and that solar flares cause magnetic impulses that can give us the northern and southern lights or aurora borealis but what else out there is controlling our planet?  What other star flares or gaseous clouds might play a part in the life of our planet?  

Looking at a recent weather map of the latest Nor'easter we've just weathered, it appeared to me to look a little like a cross between solar flares and the northern lights.  Actually, there is a magnetic storm predicted for today which might give some of you a view of the northern lights tonight. 


I've only seen them once in my lifetime here in NJ and honestly don't remember much of what they looked like because I was only about 10- or 11-years-old and had never heard of them before.  We had been visiting an uncle a few towns over and it was cold and late, but I remembered the words "aurora borealis" as sounding strange and beautiful.  Only years later would I actually learn what it was that I had seen. 

I used some Posca paint pens to recreate the weather map.  I started with some large blocks of the main colors and then added the stroke work.  I found it very relaxing as I have with the wind maps that I have done with markers in the past.  And I really love the vibrancy of the colors in this.  


I hope all the picnickers up north get a chance to see those lights tonight.  Think of me if you do.  It's going to be cloudy here so even if it were to extend this far, the clouds would obscure it.  

Speaking of the picnickers, it's time for me to head over to Scribble Picnic and see how else the universe influenced the artwork this week.  You can join me by clicking here, and should you like to join in the fun, our theme for next week is  CREAMS which I think I might have to get some clarification on.  



25 comments:

  1. I love the colours Lorraine, what a great idea! Your first paragraph got me thinking about all that is unknown on our planet, especially the oceans...who knows what's down there...and about the skies...who knows what's up there!!! We live in a world of mystery and it's a miracle that we can somehow figure out weather patterns! Lovely scribble, those paint pens are lovely!

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    1. I really wish we could figure out the weather patterns a little better. Actually, we probably know a lot about the patterns it's just too bad that we don't know how to harness the energy and use them to our advantage rather than them causing such havoc.

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  2. your art is wonderfully vibrant and full of the motion of a storm and goings on in the universe.

    I have never seen the N. lights even though they happen here. Cloudy here also.

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    1. Thank you Tammie Lee. I hope you get the chance sometime to see them.

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  3. You've done a beautiful job on this piece for the theme Lorraine, lovely waves of colour to represent the weather map. I think I will make something cream coloured for the next theme.

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    1. Thanks Christine. That's a good idea for the next theme.

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  4. Vibrant colours, Lorraine...great choice for the prompt and enjoyed the thought process behind it.

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    1. I think I make this more of a challenge for myself than I should. That's why it takes so long to come up with something. LOL

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  5. Good catch thinking of the weather maps as representing the universe! Very pretty.

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  6. A weather map ... what a surprising and absolutely appropriate choice that I would never have though of until you did :) And, like you we saw the Aurora Borealis when I was a youngster. My parents used to pile us in the car and drive to the country where the skies were clear. We would sit on the warm hood of the car and watch them dance across the sky. I still love that memory and wish I could see them again, but so far no luck. We are cloudy here as well so there was no chance of seeing them. Beautiful art work, Lorraine ...

    Andrea @ From the Sol

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    1. Andrea, thanks for sharing that memory. I can almost picture it.

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  7. A weather map ... what a surprising and absolutely appropriate choice that I would never have though of until you did :) And, like you we saw the Aurora Borealis when I was a youngster. My parents used to pile us in the car and drive to the country where the skies were clear. We would sit on the warm hood of the car and watch them dance across the sky. I still love that memory and wish I could see them again, but so far no luck. We are cloudy here as well so there was no chance of seeing them. Beautiful art work, Lorraine ...

    Andrea @ From the Sol

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  8. That map would be very cool translated into stitch! I've only seen the Northern Lights once and I was probably about the same age as you were. Really wish I could see them again!

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  9. This is such a clever take. My husband is a weather fanatic and would certainly love your rendition of it. He is always asking "google" what the weather is in all the places our friends and daughter live.

    The colors are rich and deep and really say "Weather". Love your take on the theme.

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    1. We have friends with young adult children who call the Weather Channel the MTV for parents. How did we ever get by without it.

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  10. That's a really clever take, Lorraine! thank you so much. I love what you;ve written here too. And yes, I always foudn that word so beautiful too.

    My son currently is taking an astronomy class in community college where he's learning so much and share with me the latest astronomy theories out there that are truly profound. I love discussing all this. For me, as you rather note too, our own planet has words within worlds we have yet to discover--we really don't, for example, know much about what is under Antarctica or in the deepest oceans and every year, more and more species are discovered even as 200's die out! Sorry it's taken me so long to hop back to the picnic! :)

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    1. You must have some great conversations. I think it's great that you share that interest. There's something special about learning things from our children. You get to see things through their eyes.

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  11. Face creams? A row of little jars?? This was a great interpretation of the theme. You always do beautiful recreations of those maps. I can see hie they would be quite therapeutic.

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    1. Thanks for that idea. More snow predicted so I might have some new maps for inspirations sooner than I expected.

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  12. I like the bright colors you used in this!

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  13. I don't think I've every seen a solar flare myself. This is wonderful and I love the bright colors! :)

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