Colorado Storm Clouds

Colorado Storm Clouds
16" x 20"
oil on canvas
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I really enjoyed this painting! This was from another of my fabulous stash of reference photos from that glorious rainy sunset. I was trying to decide between a photo of boats in the water, but this one won out. I enjoyed the more subdued colors in this photo.

The funny thing about cloud paintings is how they look like a big fat stinking mess until right before they are finished. I learned a while back not to freak out about the pig sty on my cloudy canvases until it is all over and done with. I wiped several paintings before learning that lesson.

I am trying to concentrate on composition. I've been reading, and the almighty "they" seem to agree that the key to a good painting is a good design. Food for thought.

Partly Cloudy

Partly Cloudy

8"x 10"
Oil on Canvas Board
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Hee-hee! I love working small. I started this painting this morning and finished about an hour ago. Talk about instant gratification! Um... well, its more instant than spending weeks on the same painting.

Two paintings ago my husband pointed at the reference photo for this painting and said "Why don't you do that one next." First thing I thought was Ick! A horizontal! I've been on a bit of a vertical kick. You may have noticed.

I sketched the clouds a couple of times and something about it just didn't feel right- until this morning.

Last night I hung the picture on my handy dandy little reference photo holder that is attached to my easel, and set a "blank" red primed canvas in place, ready to go. This morning I sketched it all out again in my little Moleskine to work on the composition, and this time I felt good about my little blue print- except it wasn't blue, it was gray and paper colored....

I also didn't scrape my pallette from the last painting like I usually do. A lot of the colors were, if not the same, very close so I could alter them easily. Having most of the colors already mixed helped. Its that whole P.A. (Plan Ahead) thing again. That has been one of the greatest lessons of my adult life so far- thank you Brad.

Remember how I was fussing a couple of posts ago about how hard painting was and I was ready for it to come easily again? Partly Cloudy basically painted itself. It was wonderful!

I made a mental shift in my personal life and was rewarded all around. Awesome. Once I realized what the problem really was, my shift came quickly and easily. Would you call it submission... release... ? Whatever the word is, it was good. It was like a great big Ahhhhh and the creativity flowed like peanut butter. Um... warm peanut butter (smooth, not chunky).

And now I have another horizontal painting under my belt- Dun-Dun-DUN!

It has been a good day.

Sunset Clouds III

Sunset Clouds III
8" x 10"
Oil on Canvas Board

Look familiar? I loved the reference photo for this one, and I have been wanting to do some smaller paintings, so here it is... again. The last one, Sunset Clouds II, was on a 16" x 20" canvas. I think clouds are so huge and dynamic that they do well on a large canvas, but it feels good to whip out a painting every once in a while.

Sunset Storm Clouds

Sunset Storm Clouds
11" x 14"
oil on canvas

I just finished an email a friend and fellow cloud painter, Ronnie Watt, about the frustrations of painting and the wonderful advice I have been given about how to deal with it.

With this particular painting, I found Mary Anne Cary's advice most helpful. She said "...when I question it all, I have to just try to stop what's going on in my head and paint without high expectations..."

Think about it. Its brilliant! She is not saying to lower your standards, but to let the painting be what it will be- to focus on the process rather than the product. Time for a new mantra for me! (Well, time to add a new one to the pile.) But how do you sum something like that up in just a few words?

When I felt that old familiar feeling of wanting to pull all my hair out because my painting looked like a big fat stinking mess, I stopped to count back from ten, and then started again with the intent of just letting this painting find its own way... so to speak. Really what I was doing was letting go of the anxiety attached to the desire for a good finished product and focused on the act of painting. I really have to concentrate to match colors. Especially grays.

Ya know, Julie Beck said basically the same thing. She said "...finish it and if you're not happy with it, do another."

There it is - Let the painting be what it will be.

Sunset Clouds II

Sunset Clouds II
16" x 20"
Oil on Stretched Canvas
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Finished.
This is painting #3 in my Cloud series. I like it.

I realize it is not a very original title, but I figure the painting has enough personality to make up for a simple name. I really like the way this one turned out. I think the larger canvas suits a skyscape. Ooo! imagine a huge huge painting of clouds. Mmmmmm.... like a 5 foot x 6 foot canvas all painted red and waiting to be smothered in stormy sunset clouds. That sounds like fun!


Woohoo! My reference photos came in! I am spastically excited. AND!!! My shipment of canvases came in. Could there be any bigger inspiration to paint?

Squamish Yacht Club

Squamish Yacht Club
16"x20"
oil on canvas
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Finished.

This picture was taken in the middle of summer. It was chilly. And stormy, as you can see. That was such a wonderful day. The dark, moody sky... and the sun beaming through in just the right places.

I am looking forward to getting some more reference photos soon. I was making room on the bookshelf the other day and found Fodor's Pacific North Coast guide book. Oooo! Excitement! I don't know why I didn't think about using a guide book. This one is over 10 years old, but I figure I can get some basic ideas of where to go and then look up the details on the internet.

I love the internet.

How did we ever do without it?

Fast Clouds

Anticipation

8" x 10"
oil on canvas board

I started this painting last night and my husband said that he was thinking I should do this one as well. It was meant to be.

I took this photo at my favorite painting spot in Western Colorado's high desert. The sun was setting and this.. just.. phenomenal storm was blowing in. I took like fifty shots of billowing pink, and orange, and purple clouds. They were churning and swallowing themselves, only grow larger --expanding in every direction at once. Oh!- the energy of it! WOW!

My favorite part of a thunderstorm is that vibrating crackle that is so thick, you can almost feel it pulsing through the air and exciting every atom. Ooo! My skin tingles just thinking about it.

That was a wonderful day. So productive. I managed to successfully capture a skyscape while painting on location. Those sunset drenched storm clouds were, to me, like a fireworks display celebrating my accomplishment. It felt good.