Slow Mo with clouds

 

 Untitled (work in process)

Acrylic on canvas 

36 x 12 inches

Barbara Muir © 2015

Walking from my car today to my Wednesday
afternoon class, it was almost balmy -- a warm
minus 16 degrees Celsius.  It actually almost
felt warm after minus 40 degrees Celsius.

But I was thinking about clouds, and am back
to working on this cloud painting.  I was fondly
remembering what my friend Marcia LaBelle said in a
wonderful discussion about art last summer.
We were walking along the waterfront in
Hamilton on a perfect summers day, disagreeing
about clouds.  Kim Rempel had kindly explained
to me in an earlier conversation that the clouds near
the horizon are always smaller. And I said to Marcia
 -- but what if they're not?

That's the rebel in me.  Marcia calmly
explained that the sky is like a bowl.
So of course the colour is more intense
directly above. And as the clouds at the horizon
are farther away, they are usually smaller.

I thought of that today, and of Kim asking
last night on her blog if we ever give up
on something that you could keep going on.
Of course I do.  And here was this painting
leaning against the wall.  I hadn't given up
on it, but it was far from done, and the words
of those two fine artists and friends persuaded
me to get the painting back on the easel.

So I'm working on it in slow mo (slow motion)
and this is how far I got today.  Thank you
Kim and Marcia for being constantly inspiring.
I am not good at obeying rules, but I am thinking of
them and grateful for all that they've taught me.
I must add that neither Kim or Marcia are artists
who adhere to rules.  They know them, and that's
different.

Have a-getting-back-to-favorite-themes day