Off in the Clouds and a Work in Progress

Living in the Wet Mountain Valley, with a 360° from our deck (front and then back) I have the good fortune of seeing all types of skies, clouds, daily life, weather, wildlife, and yes, even wildfires from my vantage point. I can see the Wet Mountain range, the Sangre de Cristo range, the Collegiates, and the Spanish Peaks.  Above me are skies that are my local version of the "Big Sky".  I take so many photos of these aforementioned wonders that my 'phone camera' is always full and my Sandisks are jammed with photos. 

There are particular photos that I 'save for later' in my 'to paint' or 'to study' pile in the studio. This is one of those. Time flies, can't believe this photo is from 2/6/18.

I recall that not soon after,  I did a small pastel and colored pencil study just for fun and to get the feel for the cloud's structure and placement above the mountains and valley.

Last week it made it to an 'almost' final 9" x 12" piece in oil. Using artistic license, 

I made the cloud more ominous and rain producing.  

Not much color though, it WAS February.  I may have to tweak that GRAY on the bottom of the cloud just a bit.  If it was that dark of a gray, the rest of the cloud would be a tad more gray as well.  Always a good idea to study a 'photo of your work' for possible corrections. 

 I will post a final of this one soon.

 "Rain in the Gap"

(still a work in progress - WIP)

by

Pattie Wall