"Rowing backwards into the future" is a phrase I heard many years ago that stuck with me. I came across it when studying the Jewish tradition of biblical interpretation, and I have always wanted to try to express it through art.

When the NMA community challenge theme of a "hidden world" was announced, it took me a few days to realize that I could paint The Future as a Hidden World. I wanted to express the unknown of what is approaching. Is it the storm or the sun?
After submitting my initial drawing to NMA instructor Marian Littlejohn for group critique, I was encouraged to consider the Zorn palette, which I had to research. I chose a modified Zorn palette, swapping the bright red for a muted 'red' and the blueish black for a brighter blue. The yellow remained traditional. I mixed everything in the painting from those three colors.