"Betwixt," Daily Painting # 25

"Betwixt," Available (click here)
8" by 8"
Oils on Panel

Coulter Ridge

These golden clouds were hovering over the the gap between the desert well below and the distant mountains. The air was without moisture and air was rapidly cooling from the hot day as the light was already below the mountains behind me. It was so still, in a place that usually constantly whips wind with violence over the ridge to or from the desert. It felt as if I was so high that I was level with the clouds in peace.

Process

I focused on creating the dark cool mood. I kept my brushwork simple on the lower portion of the painting, so that the added texture and detail in the cloud's brushwork could sing.

Next

I would love to revel in some more glorious clouds. I'll see what I can come up with. :)

Sky Transforming

"Sky Transforming," 6" by 12", Oil on Canvas

The Painting

"Sky Transforming"  (for sale on Ebay now) is a painting I did a couple of days ago as I watched clouds forming and disintegrating at colossal rates because of a forest fire some miles away. The clouds directly over the fire look just like thunder storm clouds (and are in fact formed because of heat rising off the fire, pyrocumulus clouds) but further out puffy white clouds of a friendly size were also transforming rapidly and it was those clouds that I focused on to capture this painting.

Despite the clouds indicating a fire was persisting, they have a comforting coolness to their appearance in the mostly arid pale clear blue skys of a Southern California summer.

Plans for More

This quick painting is a preview of what is soon to come. I plan to begin doing one painting daily.  Well, almost everyday. I will take days off. You know, the usual: Christmas, Easter, 4th of July, whim days of exuberant hooky, maybe even days for ordinary stuff like errand marathons. Each painting will be offered for sale on Ebay. I've ordered enough panels to last me just over a month, but I hope to continue to paint everyday for many months to come (maybe years *crossing fingers*). Wish me luck!