Stormy Outlook: the story behind the picture

This dazzle of sunshine reflecting off the sea at Holkham, Norfolk was captured on my smartphone when out walking. Within five minutes the scene was obliterated by the oncoming storm. The digital image was forgotten until rediscovered about a year later.

I had been toying with the idea of submitting a ‘qi painting’ to the Royal Academy (RA) Summer Exhibition. Looking for inspiration, I happened to notice this dramatic scene, with three days to go before the submission deadline! My intention was to work with the qi of the five element colours, particularly the ‘mystical black’ corresponding to the water element.

Artwork with artist at the RA Summer Exhibition

The concept of mystical black has shamanic origins embedded deep within the Chinese qigong wisdom traditions. The five element qigong form from the Mount Emei ‘sage’ lineage, for example, seeks to co-mingle the fire of heaven (yang) with the mystical black located in the lower dan tian (yin) – effectively creating an alchemical fusion of qi between the elements of fire and water.

I set to work confronted by a blank canvas with a solitary pencil line to indicate where the horizon was, not knowing where this would lead. I used the ‘alla prima’ method to recreate the elemental power of the original scene in paint, adopting rapid and spontaneous brushstrokes to allow the images to emerge. The finished artwork entitled ‘Stormy Outlook’ was subsequently exhibited at the RA Summer Exhibition in 2022.

Chris Low Member: Norfolk