Gilda Snowden's works reflect the many influences on her artistic development: the urban environment of Detroit, where she continues to work; the loss of her parents in 1987, which forced her to consider the unpredictable nature of life; and a broad knowledge, acquired through her studies of American art history. Her works are often abstract representations of the forces and inner turmoil that drive humanity. Tornado is one of many images of tornadoes that she created in the late 1980s through the 1990s. Most often the tornadoes are depicted as swirling bands and bright slashes of color, with suggestions of objects caught in the storm; at times, Snowden's self-portrait is included in the fray. Tornado conveys the violence of a storm and implies the emotional upheavals and instability that life offers.  J. S.