Here in New Orleans, summer means that we begin to think about hurricanes. We don't acknowledge it publicly. But deep down inside there is that nagging uncertainty that our way of life may be destroyed yet again. In 2015 we went through the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. I did a lot of work during that time that was hurricane related. One of the pieces was a huge 5' x 5' canvas of a hurricane coming in over a city. It still hangs on the wall of the studio.
Fast forward to today. We are getting the first of our spring time thunderstorms which come in May and June. This particular storm decided it was going to put the lights out for a few hours. Darkness is always a reminder of Katrina where we learned to live for weeks without electricity.
I entered the studio to get some candles. In front of the Katrina portrait is my Buddha altar. I try to keep a single candle lit on it at all times. So when I came in, this was the first thing I saw. I had to suppress a shudder when I saw it. Then I had to reach for my camera and try to capture the image. I needed no other greater reminder that its hurricane season than this.
The lights are back on now. But there is still a darkness that remains.
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