Summer Squall, 1877. Summer Squall was inspired by a sudden storm Homer observed from his studio at Prouts Neck, Maine. Thick strokes of white paint suggest the foaming water violently surging over and around the flat rock in the foreground, which in better weather was one of the artist¡¦s favorite fishing spots. The solitary sailboat in the distance enhances the painting¡¦s drama, evoking the human struggle with the forces of nature.