Painting with a big brush and lots of paint

I thought I would take a moment and write down some ideas before I head out into the field to paint for a week or so. Recently, 20 days ago, I began a challenge. I challenged myself to create 100 skies painted in watercolor. My fascination with the sky spans my lifetime; however, the sky has also been a major focal point of my landscape work for at least 6 years. The sky is a stage high above the horizon where clouds are the actors with occasional cameo appearances by birds, tree lines, and mountain ranges.

Basic rules of composition state that you either paint a landscape 2/3 land and 1/3 sky or the other way around. My tastes have been 2/3 sky. Enormous opportunity for color and shapes are waiting above the savvy painter. Sometimes the sky is simple, and in its simplicity makes the most excellent of backdrops for mountains or trees and sometimes the sky is the hero of our stage demanding the attention despite what might be below. Take the following examples, the first a scene of Pikes Peak and The Garden of the Gods. Lots going on here so the sky is simple and acts as a backdrop of value and color meant to best support the other elements. 

Sometimes the sky is the primary subject and the land is simplified and gives homage to the heavens above.

On occasion I get dangerously close to a composition where nether sky nor land dominate. Do you think one or the other must be dominate for a strong composition? Look at a couple of examples and let me know what you think.

Take time the next time you look at an artists work to see what choices have been made regarding the division of sky and land. Consider how the sky either compliments the landscape, or sets the mood and tells mist of the story. I am headed out to be on the field, paint on location and be inspired by the ever changing stage in the sky. Please take a look on Facebook at J.r. Monks to follow along my 100 Sky Challenge and be sure to drop me an email on my website jrmonks.com and let me know your thoughts on skies.

Thank you for taking the journey with me and keep your eyes on the skies.

JR Monks

jrmonks.com