September Clouds

I got a late start but I was determined to paint big clouds.  I drove around to a couple of promising spots but was not feeling the view because of the angle or the obstructions to my view.  It is almost like finding a spot to fish.  This spot although not very scenic, was ideal for a number of reasons.  I was in a parking lot so I did not have to haul all of my gear around.  My set up was much quicker so I could start painting that much faster.  I was in the shade which was nice since it was around 100.  As usual I am painting on a board prepared with acrylic paint and pumice gel.  The board measures 24"X36".

To me this was going to be a painting about clouds.  The composition does not reflect the dominance of the clouds because the hills offered a good balance and sense of the size of the clouds.  I started with the horizon as a reference and then painted the clouds in a gray that is hard to see.  Once I felt good with the relationship between the clouds and the hills I tried to nail the clouds.  It was that time late in the afternoon when the clouds just vanish and blow away.