"I've Looked At Clouds That Way"

I was inspired to write this post about clouds after reading the article about Luke Howard on Hyperallergic today called, "How the Naming of Clouds Changed the Skies of Art".

It caused me to reflect on some of my experiences and efforts to capture clouds like the ones in this painting "Killbear Morning Light".

"Killbear Morning Light"
2014 plein air acrylic
by Cindi Moynahan-Foreman 

My quick value sketches

Thankfully I had started early that September morning doing some quick composition/value sketches in my art journal.

By the time that I was finally set up with my paint and easel, the sky had completely changed! The sky was lovely later in the day, but not as lovely as when I had first arrived in that early morning light, so I completed the painting using the sky and clouds from my earlier composition/value sketch.

In just a matter of hours, the sky changed many times

"Clouds are fascinating to paint 

because they are the only element in a landscape 

that possesses free movement." 

(John F. Carlson 1875-1947)

Thanks to amateur meteorologist Luke Howard, we have had a naming system for clouds since 1802. 
(Link to Luke Howard's 77-page book published in 1865, "Essay on the Modifications of Clouds")

 Blue plaque at Luke Howard’s former home
in Tottenham, London
(photo by Acabashi/Wikimedia)

Luke Howard named clouds using three Latin terms: cirrus (“a curl of hair”); cumulus (“a heap”); and stratus (“layer”). (He would have never seen a "Hole-punch cloud" in the 1800s!)

Types of Clouds and How to Paint Them

Luke Howard also inspired Percey Bysshe Shelley's iconic 1820 poem "The Cloud" and my favourite four lines are found in the last stanza:

My acrylic sketch "Rain Cloud" 

What About Before 1802?

This article really got me thinking about a lot of things. I wondered about clouds before 1802. Before clouds had proper scientific latin names and that's when things got really interesting for me.

I found a lecture delivered before the Philosophical Institute of Edinburgh, December 6, 1887, by the Hon. Ralph Abercromby. I learned about "Cloud-land in folklore" and other names for clouds like "mares-tails",

or "Thor's Chariot", or "Udders of the Cows of Indra" (foretelling rain or "dropping richness on the earth"!).

 Fig. 5.—The Udders of the Cows of Indra Festooned Clouds.

All of this seemed like really wonderful material for some future art journal sketches/illustrations about clouds and cloud folklore.

I also realized that, since winter arrived, I have not been paying a lot of attention to the clouds and I plan to make more of an effort for the rest of the winter to "Look up!"

"I've Looked At Clouds That Way" 

Because I borrowed the title "I've Looked At Clouds That Way" for this blog post from the famous song "Both Sides Now" by the amazing Joni Mitchell , I thought it apropos to close with it. Enjoy!

Both Sides, Now   by Joni Mitchell   Rows and flows of angel hair  And ice cream castles in the air  And feather canyons everywhere  I've looked at clouds that way  
But now they only block the sun  They rain and snow on everyone  So many things I would have done  But clouds got in my way  
I've looked at clouds from both sides now  From up and down, and still somehow  It's cloud illusions I recall  I really don't know clouds at all  
Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels  The dizzy dancing way you feel  As every fairy tale comes real  I've looked at love that way  
But now it's just another show  You leave 'em laughing when you go  And if you care, don't let them know  Don't give yourself away 
I've looked at love from both sides now  From give and take, and still somehow  It's love's illusions I recall  I really don't know love at all  
Tears and fears and feeling proud  To say "I love you" right out loud  Dreams and schemes and circus crowds  I've looked at life that way  
But now old friends are acting strange  They shake their heads, they say I've changed  Well something's lost, but something's gained  In living every day  
I've looked at life from both sides now   From win and lose and still somehow   It's life's illusions I recall  I really don't know life at all  
I've looked at life from both sides now   From up and down and still somehow  It's life's illusions I recall  I really don't know life at all  
© 1967 Gandalf Publishing Co