I actually sketched out this painting 5 years ago and just got around to painting it in March during the first COVID-19 lockdown. My sense of humor comes out when it seems like the end is nigh:
During the Middle Ages, illustrated commentaries on the Apocalypse (Book of Revelation) were quite popular. This piece uses the common conventions for representing the angel blowing the second trumpet (Rev 8:8) but I added details that make it more personal to my experience of living in Seattle. There are some days when Mt. Rainier is visible from the West Seattle bridge, but the base is obscured by clouds that make it appear to hover in the air. The fish are sockeye salmon...the dead ones have red pigmentation at the end of their life cycle. The land is covered in native wildflowers; trillium and fringe cup. Also white star flowers and coastal wormwood to forshadow the next trumpet.
Here's the same scene from the Cloisters Apocalypse (14th centruy A.D.) for comparison:
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