Different personalities

Sky and water have a lot of different personalities and are constantly changing. The light from the sky above tints and reflects on everything we see during the daytime hours.

At the Madison County Senior Center, we will begin a series of painting demonstrations at this Friday’s painting class starting at 9 a.m. on the techniques of painting daytime skies of clouds and sky reflections on the water. We will start out with the basic blue sky and how to paint the variations in color from the horizon to the intense sky above your head. After seeing this first part of the demonstration you will notice more of the variations in color in the sky above you and all around you. Even if you don’t paint, this is a demonstration in awareness.

We will paint clouds from the seemingly white cotton balls to wispy thin clouds and onto more dramatic cloud formations. We will examine clouds for color and shadows and how to give them a more three dimensional look. We will talk and illustrate composition in and of clouds.

While we are doing skies, we will also paint water which is often a reflection of the sky; if not a mirror reflection, a reflection of the colors in the sky.

The location of the sun tells us where all the shadows should be especially in the clouds. Merely turning your head 90 degrees changes where the shadows on the clouds are.

What the first demonstrations will do is to at least make you aware of how the world looks from various angles.

Most of this is very simple but we rarely take real notice of the differences until someone points them out to us. Painting at the very least helps you see and notice more of the world around you.

Ultimately it will help you see more of the beauty and the uniqueness of this world in which we live.

Harry Croghan is an artist, photographer, writer and teacher. You can send comments to croghan@dragonbbs.com or call (740) 852-4906.