#2911 "Underlit September Altocumulus Swells"

#2911 "Underlit September Altocumulus Swells" 
11x14 inches oils on canvas
Monday January 6th, 2025

We try not to miss a sunset. Even an overcast sky can be breathtaking at the end of the day. This is another sky that really caught our eye and I thought it deserved to be translated into oils. The sky colours were equally strong on the rippled surface of Singleton Lake. 

The sunset light was catching the undersides of the altocumulus. The layer of moisture that created the altocumulus was thin. Blue sky tones separated the brilliant gravity wave crests where the cloud resided. The troughs of the gravity waves were cloud-free. The swell's wavelength was quite long, creating a broad separation between the brilliant bands of cloud. Strong atmospheric winds were shaking that layer of moisture like a bed sheet. 

The long wavelengths of these gravity waves suggested that these were swells within the atmospheric ocean originating from strong winds closer to the approaching weather system. There was no obvious wind wave pattern added to the swells suggesting that the col of the deformation zone flow was approaching Singleton Lake. The cloud patterns were simply advancing and not deviating noticeably either to the left or right. The following graphic explains these patterns but don't be concerned - there is no exam. 

Some faint shafts of virga were backlit by the last rays of the sun west of Wicks Pick Lodge on the western shore of Singleton Lake. The cloud had to be thicker further to the west but the sun was still illuminating it from below. 

These colours only last a few minutes before the sun sinks below the western horizon. I tried to keep the spontaneity in the brush strokes. Painting this inspiration in real-time would allow only a few bold strokes before the colours vanished. There were a lot of oils on the brush strokes that I rolled across the canvas as I tried to relive that September sunset.  

For this and much more art, click on Pixels or go straight to the Collections. Here is the new Wet Paint 2024 Collection. Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2025. 

Warmest regards and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick