Clouds And Skies – Inspiration For Art
Clouds And Skies – Inspiration For Art
Clouds and skies are so important to my work and also for all of us to lift us above the routine of everyday life. I grew up in North Norfolk in England, I guess its kind of similar to the great plains but on a much smaller scale. As well as cities, nature has also been an influence on my art.
The summers are some of the driest places in the UK and in the summer it gets quite hot. I remember going out for cycle rides with the cornfields then coming home to watch sci fi tv, and it could have almost been somewhere in the USA. Especially during the late summer when a few thunderstorms drifted by.
I have never been back there since my parents moved but one thing I remember there were the skies. The big skies against above the flat landscape, the sunsets, the night skies, pink jet trails crossing the sky on their way to Europe or the U.S.A. As an opposite to this ground view, I remember flights to Europe and later to North America and seeing clouds from the other side.
This is where I must have started to grow an interest in clouds and skies.
During my graduate show at Edinburgh College Of Art college, I made an exhibition of clouds for one of my final Interior Design projects.
Clouds inspire me, they give me an expansive feeling along with their forms that often look sculptural.
Other artists have been inspired by clouds, just Google this to find out.
Examples Of My Art Inspired By Clouds
clouds and grid
Above is a “cloud grid” inspired by the clouds in the Isle Of Lewis, Scotland. The grid is based on a 3d graphics particle system model I made and then projected it onto this paper and developed it traditionally with inks and a fluid line, 2012.
cloud sketches
Above are quick energetic pencil sketches I made of cloud forms around Madrid, Spain on a hot spring day, 2013.
maker city
Above, shows may maker city structure in development, 2016. This central structure was developed in 3D graphics and is based on cloud forms too.
Vlog Clouds…
Watch this screencast to accompany this blog…
What You Can Do…
Get pencil, paper and go out and sketch what you see. Take this back home and just see how it inspires your art and design
Look at clouds upside down, for example, lie upside down on a sand dune, it will look like an alien planet. It is amazing and certainly will inspire you. You could also try to take a photo of what you see. I got this great activity from attribute to Gavin Pretor Pinney who wrote a great book called the “Cloud Spotter’s Guide”.
Feel free to comment on what I experienced or I am always really interested in your views and creative expressions. What inspires you about clouds and skies?
The amazing thing is wherever we are in the world, we always will have wonderful clouds and skies.
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