Clouds returning

We have just had three gloriously fine days, but like all good things, it has to come to an end. I was up on a trestle, finishing the undercoat for a mural I'm restoring, when I realised that it had become both darker and colder. I took a break, looked around, and realised just how much it had clouded over.

I was about to pack up for the day anyway, and realised that my subject for the day had selected itself once again. One of the nice things about painting clouds early or late is the raking light that models them, and produces neat shadows.

Funny old things clouds. They are nowhere near as dark and light as they appear at first sight. Very translucent. The modelling is more a shift in colour temperature than in tone. This is particularly the case later in the evening as the light progressively warms, and the cloud shadows go quite purple.

My painting was finished before this happened to any great extent. Just as well or it would have called for a complete repaint.



15104. "Clouds Returning to our Valley" oil on panel. 8x10 in. $150

Any plein air painting from this blog may be purchased by emailing me at

rosswhitlock@inspire.net.nz

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