Firey Sky

Today was a beautiful cool day with some sun and a lot of clouds.  Several times it looked as if it would rain. It was one of those days that allowed me some time to work in the garden. Later in the day after Cindy and I had gone shopping down the hill to Trader Joe's and Costco to replenish our groceries.  We drove home in dark overcast skies.  It seemed as if rain was surely going to fall at any minute.

The dogs could care less if it poured, so I decided to take them on their walk.  Just in case I put on a hat and coat, because I don't care to get wetter than necessary. Fortunately the rain held off, while I was excercising the dogs. As  we started back home I was amazed at the rich orange colors in the sky.  Of all days not to have my camera with me!  I hurried along hoping to get past the homes that were blocking the view and came out next too the woods. The sky was fantastic, and almost looked as if it were on fire.  Bright yellow at the horizon, giving way to orange and the red.  The clouds above this first band wer dark grey to black on the bottom and lighter grey on top. Then there was another band of almost reddish orange sky, and above that more intense clouds that looked like thunderheads. Those clouds gave way to a grey layer above that was tinged with greys and pinks. I got home  too late to phtograph it, but I had studied the colors because I wanted to paint what I had just seen.

Dinner was ready when I got home, and so I had time to relax and eat with Cindy.  After dinner and clean-up, I went over to my pastels and grabbed a piece of paper and began to sketch the clouds. My neigborhood would not have added anything to this sunset I had seen with its intense clouds so I drew in far distant mountains.  The colors seemed to flow, and I had no reference other than my memory to produce them.  I looked at some pictures of New Mexico and thought that some of the elemnts would make a believable foreground. I especially liked on that had  a dry river bed and abandoned run down corral like ones I have seen on the open range. The finished pastel painting is the one accompanying this blog tonight.  Hope you enjoy it.