Started 2:30 pm Wednesday May 9th, 2018
The cumulus clouds continued to develop along the east to west line well to the south of the St Lawrence. The southwesterly winds were intensifying and the cumulus streets were becoming aligned with that direction. This view is only about ten minutes after #2095 "Mallorytown Landing Cumulus" and looking more toward the southwest and Grenadier Island Island. One of the participants wanted more guidance on painting those elusive clouds. We tried positive drawing of the clouds with a thin light white wash. We also experimented drawing clouds in a negative way with a thin blue wash. Either way one had to protect the bright white highlights of the cumulus tops where the small, new water droplets are terrific Mie scatterers of solar energy. It just takes a subtle convergence line in the lower atmosphere to focus all of this cumulus development. The clouds were quite vigourous in the warm and moist unstable air mass. It was actually a very hot day for early May.
This was a smooth and slippery surface and a lot of fun demonstrating how one might try to capture the quickly changing clouds. The other goal was to convince them that you could mix the correct value or colour, lay it in and leave it. There is really no need to polish the brush stroke. Leave the stroke alone and let it breath vitality into the art. I try every approach that can be imagined to find the one that might connect with the attendees.
The black flies and midges were out but nothing was biting. Several midges landed on the wet paint and very few managed to escape. A few flies were added to the pigment but one landed and looked like a turkey vulture soaring in the same thermals that supported the clouds. That tiny fly is still there in the paint.
It was a beautiful day and thank you to the Thousand Islands Artists Association for believing the forecast and moving the planned outing one day ahead in order to avoid the cold front, rain and winds of Thursday. That forecast verified very well.
The black flies and midges were out but nothing was biting. Several midges landed on the wet paint and very few managed to escape. A few flies were added to the pigment but one landed and looked like a turkey vulture soaring in the same thermals that supported the clouds. That tiny fly is still there in the paint.
It was a beautiful day and thank you to the Thousand Islands Artists Association for believing the forecast and moving the planned outing one day ahead in order to avoid the cold front, rain and winds of Thursday. That forecast verified very well.
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