Cloudscapes, atmospheres, the upper realm, and the sky have all been really present in my work lately. Most likely due to the Orpheus thing (receding to the lower realm in an effort to bring back Eurydice from the dead) and Rilke’s facination with impermanence and transience. When thinking about skies and clouds, one cannot proceed as an artist without examining John Constable’s work. Constable had long felt that the sky was ‘the chief organ of sentiment’ in a painting and he painted over 100 sky studies which captured unique atmospheric effects. These sky studies are wonderfully observed, recording the time of day, date, wind direction and weather conditions under which they were painted. They are also evidence of the astonishing range and skill of his oil-sketching method of painting outdoors, capturing the passing effects of nature and changing light. Later in his life Constable began to use stormy weather more self-consciously, as expressive of his own feelings.
Clouds/Atmospheres=Metaphor for emotions. Guess that’s why I’m painting clouds. Thought I’d undertake a series of small studies to explore the emotional associations of different formations, colors and atmospheric effects.