John Constable's cloud sketches, done in the early 1820's in England, are among my favorite works of art (below - and many more to come). He observed and recorded one of the most transient subjects - the sky, notating the precise details of time, temperature and wind direction. The colors are gorgeous and earthy, and the brushstrokes loose and spontaneous.
It hardly compares, but when the light and conditions are just right, it's almost possible to capture an image over the lake that comes close (below, 2). I guess the onus is on me to take a momentary breather from driving kids to lacrosse practice and piano lessons and paint. There's probably an important lesson to be learned from Constable. He didn't have the luxury of seeing a beautiful thing and putting it off. If the clouds were right, they were right, and he had to paint them then and there. There's not really an excuse for putting off your art - you can always procrastinate by the insidious method of "I'll do this once I've finished paying bills / doing housework / other mundane chores", but the truth is that this moment never comes. So there's a New Year's resolution - to prioritize art over procrastination. The dishes will wash themselves for now.
It hardly compares, but when the light and conditions are just right, it's almost possible to capture an image over the lake that comes close (below, 2). I guess the onus is on me to take a momentary breather from driving kids to lacrosse practice and piano lessons and paint. There's probably an important lesson to be learned from Constable. He didn't have the luxury of seeing a beautiful thing and putting it off. If the clouds were right, they were right, and he had to paint them then and there. There's not really an excuse for putting off your art - you can always procrastinate by the insidious method of "I'll do this once I've finished paying bills / doing housework / other mundane chores", but the truth is that this moment never comes. So there's a New Year's resolution - to prioritize art over procrastination. The dishes will wash themselves for now.
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