I visited ‘The EY Exhibition LATE TURNER - PAINTING SET FREE’ of 2014-2015 twice. For the announcement and some images click on the title in grey. Of all the beautiful works, one canvas struck me like lightning:

‘LAKE LUCERNE: THE BAY OF URI FROM BRUNNEN’ showed how much you can do with very little. So subtle. Incredible…

Things stay in my head, they simmer and then all is ready for the realization years later. 

Recently I made two paintings of volcanos. They have violent contrasts, they show the raw outbursts. The opposite of this painting of Turner.

As far as I know Turner never saw a working volcano. Poor guy! His fascination with clouds, fire, mist, light… Imagine what he would have made of it.

He traveled to Italy, he was close to so many places that would have inspired him. On his way to Pompeii he must have passed by the Solfatara near Naples.

                                         The Solfatara

                                         Click on the image to go to a video

I remember walking there and feeling the ground tremble. Did I know that it is not very safe… 

Some years later I went to the sulphur baths in Saturnia. That was a lot safer and good for my skin. It was a romantic night (spent with a woman from Rome), the moon was full.

                                      Saturnia.

And again, as far as I know Turner did not see or bath in Saturnia.

So strange that he did not go to Stromboli, the Vesuvius or the Etna…

To make up I painted a volcano for him with some sulphur clouds… I kept it in the realm of the painting that I admired in the Tate exhibition. Clouds, mist, subtle changes in the colours and tones.

Click on the image above to go to ‘VOLCANO 003, TURNERS DREAM’ on the site.

In music it reminds me of 'THE ISLAND OF THE DEAD' by Rachmaninov. Well, the start of this piece of music and then it moves more in the direction of the other two paintings...