Clouds over Grand Mere

We went out boating with some good friends today, so mostly I wasn’t thinking about painting. But the clouds were out in all their magnificence today, and I did take a few photos here and there when I thought about it. This particular cloud formation reminded me of some of the paintings by American illustrators during the golden age of illustration, but with the more contemporary twist of modern boats. I loved the verticality of that wall of clouds as it hit the lakeshore and gained height, and then that band of horizontal cloud whisp halfway up… I figured at the very least, I should do a sketch of it while I remembered what I liked about it so much. I also moved different elements of the scene around just a bit to enhance that vertical composition a bit, and just for a slightly more organized feel to the scene. I’ve got a few other painting related things that need to be brought to more of a finish, but I just might start on a painting of this scene too…

-ZR