Light reds and cerulean blues reflect stripes of color in the overcast sky, combining to form gray, churning waves. John Marin based his works on nature, expressing its turbulence by varying his brushstrokes. Thick paint applied in brushy gestures gave the effect of motion. “In painting water,” the artist wrote, “make the hand move the way water moves.” Marin extended the experience of the painting all the way to the edges of its painted frame—strategically uniting the composition with its surround.
