Sea Johns I love : Jill Berry Blog

Sea Johns I love

Posted on December 4, 2008 - Filed Under Uncategorized

Turner Stormy Sea Painting

Fair weather is a mask that the devil dons
A disguise for the tempest that’s coming on
But looking toward the west, I can always tell
By the tint of the sky and the strength of the swell
Who’s winning today—is it heaven or hell?

These are part of the lyrics to this song by the Bills, a Canadian group that I love. It is a sea shanty, a passionate song of a lonely sea captain. Every time I hear it (my kids sing to it in the car, every word) I think of when I was twenty-two,living in Europe and wandering the rooms of the Tate Gallery in London where the gigantic stormy sea paintings of John Turner don the walls. The huge wild oceans swirled around me, and I remember deeply loving Turner for one long afternoon. I loved his brave vision, and willingness to buck the order of things long before anyone else painted so freely, even the Impressionists. The Turner sea paintings made a long lasting impression on me. My grandparents had a beach house that was my nirvana. My response to sea air is narcotic still, and this coupled with Turner and the other John, well, it is a blast of sensousness. Try it, you may like it.

Check out more songs, paintings and stories with LK Ludwig and her friends in a day of sharing.