“Mars Outflooding”

By Michael Boss
Casein on Rag Board
20” X 30”

From the Collection of Karen and Kermit Taylor

For me Mars has always had intrigue of one sort or another. 

Named after the Roman God of war, Mars has been a favorite subject, especially after reading Willy Ley’s Mariner IV to Mars.  It made no difference whether it was factual. 

“War of the Worlds”, both the novel by H.G. Wells, and the American radio dramatic interpretation by Orson Welles, Marvin the Martian, or Uncle Martin… anything to do with Mars was and is captivating.  How I wish I had kept the original NASA flyer describing the “Face on Mars”!

Some years back, I read about super flooding on Mars.  It seemed like a subject that could be well rendered.  I painted the panorama more serene than “torrential”.