I’ve got my head in the clouds…


One of the artists who have remained in my Top 10 is the painter Sir Peter Paul Rubens. Yes, I love his use of color and brilliant compositions but most of all it’s his turbulent skies. On overcast days I often look up and say that it’s a sky made by Rubens. Still, I have avoided painting clouds like the plague…until this summer .

It started with two photographs taken with my ‘handheld device (a.k.a cell phone) from the passenger seat on the way to and from my favorite beach. The first is a swirly mess that is part smoke and part clouds, the second was a dramatic sky that I captured while riding across the Harry Nice Bridge.

I loved what I was able to do in the first work, titled Leaving Virginia. (Based on the the photo taken with my cellular phone).

11x14"

Then I recalled the dramatic clouds that I photographed at Bettystown Beach in Ireland in March 2009. So I painted 2 versions. One of which now hangs in the home of art collectors in Chicago; the other is still ‘up for grabs’- for now.

20x20"

15x30"

This photo was taken while I waited at a stop light to change …because I found it inspiring, glad that I didn’t have to explain that to a police officer.

And someone that had seen a couple of my clouds paintings sent this and offered a commission…wish me luck!

Another that is very dear to me is the painting of The Ambassador Bridge from the Detroit River.

I have wanted to capture this scene for years because I had fond memories of boating on the Detroit river and seeing what I remember as the Canada Dry sign light up in red script lights. Well, after lots of research and consulting with 4 other Detroiters, I found out that the red sign that I had stored into my weak memory bank was actually for Canadian Club-the whiskey…yes, we all laughed about that but I did include the sign in the painting. The goal in that work was to create a dramatic sun setting with clouds and I was pleased with the result. In fact, another version is in the works-a larger canvas where one can see the Canadian Club clearer…and the clouds, of course.