"There was never a question in my mind that I would revisit this musical genius after his untimely passing, however, I hadn’t planned on revisiting so soon.

This piece is a spin off of another piece I was conceptualizing. Unlike most pieces that come to me in the middle of the night while I wrestle with insomnia, this one came to me in the shower as I watched the water bead off the glass shower doors. The original idea (which I won’t mention as it’s still in the queue) led my mind to wander to legendary rock shows that occurred during a downpour. Rather than ruin the show, there are instances where the elements have added to the magic of the evening. Nine Inch Nails playing covered in mud at Woodstock, AC/DC playing Thunderstruck while lightning flashed behind them in Edmonton, to name a couple.

Then I got punched in the mouth by the thought of Prince singing Purple Rain in the rain during his masterful 2007 Super Bowl performance. As he closed out the song, he raised his guitar triumphantly to say thank you and goodbye to 70 thousand in attendance and the 140 million viewers at home. At the time the gesture was just that, but since his passing this image has taken on a whole new meaning for me and has come to symbolize a much deeper and meaningful farewell gesture.

 

*Addendum – During the creation of this piece our dear friend and fellow artist Michael Godard was injured in a horrific accident. His trademark Olive makes an appearance as a symbol of our thoughts and support during his recovery." -Stickman