Mathematical reasoning, statistics, metaphysics, evolution, logic, are all concepts that found popular expression during the 19th century and provide an engaging backdrop for me.

Living in a time when the focus of any one field has become so narrow and discreet that it almost acts as a separate and complete system of logic in itself, I often ignore my own innate abilities of contemplation, relying instead on snippets of Google-able "truths" to form the basis of my thought.

Chauncey Wright, a mathematically gifted thinker active from the 1850s-70s, put together an understanding of the universe by making comparisons to the weather. His "cosmical weather" is remarkable not just because it resembles more contemporary ideas about the universe's origin like the Big Bang, but because he's taken something as accessible and mundane as the weather to help him structure the logic of his theory via analogy, extrapolation and most of all, just plain old daily experience. He didn't need to be a meteorologist to think about the weather.

When I was looking through the different stages in the development of this painting, I thought it rather interesting how it mimicked the picture I have in my head of the way, say the Earth, was formed: A big fiery mass slowly cooling and developing distinctions, temperatures fluctuate - allowing for variant surfaces, metals coagulate and so on.

This painting is done in homage to those who think first and ask questions later.