Cirrus and cerulean

Today was a day of high wispy cirrus clouds in a deep cerulean sky. Well, maybe a little bit of cobalt blue is mixed in at the top for vibrancy. These clouds were painted about 2 pm facing the east.


The large number of cirrus clouds in the sky today seems to forecast rain in our near future. Cirrus clouds in great number precede a frontal system or upper air disturbance. The clouds which follow today's cirrus should be nimbostratus, or low-lying rain-bearing clouds which will move into Virginia overnight.

More nimbostratus clouds

Dramatic nimbostratus clouds covered the sky again on Saturday, October 29th sometimes with breaks of sun-lightened cloud like these in the west at about 4:20 pm.


We had rain all day totaling an inch and a third and a very small range of temperature change with a high of 45 and low of 36 degrees F.


This cold (and wet) front moved through the middle Atlantic states and up the eastern coast to cover New England with a foot and a half of snow. An early winter this year!

Cloud, clouds everywhere

These nimbostratus clouds covered Virginia on Friday, October 28th. Nimbostratus are our frequent rain clouds that cover the sky and provide day-long showers. That is in contrast to the nimbocumulus clouds which are associated with thunderstorms and sudden, violent showers.


I painted these clouds at 6 pm facing the west. The air was so cool (about 36 degrees F) we also had sleet in the early evening, just before this painting was made.


Since clouds are so amorphous, it seemed a good time to quote part of Goethe's poem "To the Honoured Memory of Howard" honoring Luke Howard, a Quaker, whose 1820 classification of cloud types inspired so many artists and scientists:

     But with pure mind Howard gives us

     His new doctrine's most glorious prize:
     He grips what cannot be held, cannot be reached,
     He is the first to hold it fast,
     He give precision to the imprecise, confines it,
     Names it tellingly--yours be the honour!--
    Whenever a streak (of clouds) climbs, piles itself  

     together. scatters, falls,
    May the world gratefully remember you.

And, we do.

Stormy weather

September 27th was a dramatic weather day--huge, colorful clouds, three inches of rain, ear-splitting lightning and thunder, the works! This peekaboo vision of sunset pink cumulus clouds through falling virga and massive black nimbostratus was amazing.


This vision presented itself about 6:45 pm in the south. The setting sun was over my right shoulder breaking through the heavy clouds and bathing the higher clouds in pink light.


Reminds me of the Piano Puzzler on Performance Today this morning!

Sunday rain clouds

Sunday, September 18th was such a busy day that I made time for only a little abstract wash of more nimbostratus. Looking north about 5 pm, the tonal layers of cloud were striking with little sunlight making its way through the thickness.


We had more rain during the day and a heaviness to the air of high humidity.

Rain and nimbostratus clouds

Nimbostratus clouds are our friendly gray rain clouds. They are low clouds with undulating dark and light masses of soft cloud hanging over our heads.  Nimbostratus form along warm fronts due to the slowly rising air. 


The nimbostratus clouds often have a layer of pannus clouds below them. Pannus is a massed layer of multiple fractus clouds. 


These dark nimbostratus rain clouds covered the sky on Saturday, September 17th for most of the day. It was wonderful to watch them moving and changing shape and color.