It is interesting how a cloud like this one can seem so safe, harmless and noninvasive until it goes over head,… and then suddenly, while the sun is out and shining all around you, the cloud is suddenly cascading a drenching downpour of buckets of rain on top of you, and then just as you have everything packed up and are heading for shelter, the rain stops as if it had never started. Nature is full of surprises, and things like this are what keeps the activity of making art out-of-doors interesting.
As you might have guessed by now I was caught off guard while out sketching. I was focused on the view of the water, the wave action, the distant landscape and taking the clouds for granted. Fortunately I was able to protect my sketch pad from the rain, as I dashed to a nearby shelter. I draw in a Moleskine sketchpad with a fountain pen, and the ink can run and smear if it gets wet on the page – this is visible in some of my sketches in the “Drawings” category. This kind of situation comes with working outdoors as an artist – it happens from time to time and as such is accepted as being part of the overall working conditions or possible occurrences. Once, on a sunny summer day up in the Adirondack mountains when I went indoors for lunch, for the sake of convenience I left my nearly completed watercolor painting and tools where I was working, knowing that I would return to painting very shortly. I was sitting inside with friends and family and enjoying my meal when one of them looked out the window behind me and exclaimed, “LOOK!!! It’s pouring outside…” Well, that’s another story for another time.
Note: I am pleased to share that this painting was accepted into the 36th Annual Whitewater Art Competition juried art exhibit of 2014 at Indiana University East.