How Is the Weather?

I love meteorology — which has nothing to do with meteors. It is, as we all know, the science of weather. I remember my grandfather teaching me bits of “weather lore”. I felt so wise, so knowledgeable! He taught me too about barometers and other scientific terms involved in weather forecasting, and when storms were approaching, we used to step outside together to watch the clouds gathering.

I’m still fascinated by all the charts and graphs and weather maps meteorologists use, but as an artist, I’m more fascinated by the weather itself. This is the area I’m working on now as I continue my 100-day journey in oil painting.

Here’s one of my first “weather studies” — it’s titled “Through the Mists of Morning”.

I find the painting interesting. For me this was somewhat “experimental” as I looked for ways to create the look and feel of a misty morning. I like a lot of what I did, and after playing with it a bit, I did find a way to create the mistiness I liked. In the past, I’ve tried adding mist over what I’ve already painted. With this, I began by painting in the mist first and then adding the trees — the ones to the left. Where I went wrong was in adding the bits of yellow gold. I think I would have liked it better had I stayed with the pinks, blues, and misty gray throughout.

A second attempt at creating a sense of “weather” is this painting, titled “A Chill in the Air”.

There’s a lot I’m proud of in this painting. Look at my tree trunks — they’re getting better. Look at the distant hills and the hazy trees in the background. I like the depth I achieved in this painting. As I’ve been doing a lot lately, I once more went a little crazy with colors, but maybe it works — almost. For me, this is another painting that represents progress. A year or so ago, I could have only dreamed of painting a scene like this. I’ve learned a lot.

Painting the weather will be challenging, I think, but as I’m able to get outside to our hiking trails again, I’ll be looking forward to checking the weather each day and adding various elements to my painting, whether it’s morning mist, a chill in the air, or a day of brilliant sunlight. Maybe one day I’ll even be able to paint a thunderstorm. Oh, how I love rainy days!

What’s your favorite weather?