Thoughts on clouds and mendung

Challenges while working on my megamendungs series

I wanted to share some of the work in progress on the Megamendungs I’ve been working on lately.

Two pieces from the Megamendungs series.

Aside from helping my son adjust to being back in Malaysia, I’ve been balancing a job search, and my art practice, which currently includes a dye project and my mega mendungs paintings. Dyeing and painting at the same time has been a gratifying mix of patience in craftsmanship vs. the direct manipulation and feedback in paint.

Although I haven’t identified a studio space yet, I’ve repurposed my closet so that now one of the walls contains most of my art supplies, which can be taken out at a moment’s notice.

The pieces that I’m working on are 2’ x 2’, and I’m enjoying the bigger format. The bigger format allows me to use my body differently, and I’m definitely making use of longer brushes and longer perspective. I really cannot wait until I have some studio space because I’m currently working off of a desk and the floor, so I can have some distance. I want to start hanging these boards off of a support on the wall so I can move freely.

I’m looking forward to going even bigger and cannot wait for this to happen.

I wanted to share some more of my in between takes of the paintings I’ve been working on. As I’ve been working on my 12” x 12” practice pieces, I’ve started really enjoying deliberate, but loose brushwork. I think there’s a space that I occupy when I’m painting at my best, or rather, making the best marks, where I am intuiting where the next mark goes and I just go for it. I don’t think I’m explaining it very well, but I can say it is one of the most enjoyable things about painting.

Some in progress shots of my work

I feel as these paintings have been an accumulation of lots of inspiration over the last few years. I’ve been making cloud related paintings for awhile now, though I don’t think I really dedicated that much thought into experimentation.

Persian Miniatures

For awhile now, I’ve been fascinated by how clouds are stylized in historical paintings. While these cloudy formations seem overly stylized, as I start sketching cumulous clouds, they are actually quite accurate with their billowing upwards movements.

Chinese painting

Again, here’s some other stylized cloud/mist formations in Chinese painting. I love how again, movement is captured. Also, I like how the clouds have their own place in the painting; They are an entity, like a mountain, like a tree. Very taoist.

Clouds in the Northern Climes

The stark colors of blue sky and clouds just sends me. There’s always a lot more spacing in the sky. Probably because there isn’t as much water vapor as in the tropics.

Here in the tropics, we have so much water vapor I notice that oftentimes, the clouds are on top of each other. Tumbling out. It’s almost as if they are puffed out by a machine, quickly, in succession.

Popular culture

On the plane, I was watching Japanese cartoons with my son, and there was this one scene that I found particularly interesting. I appreciate the oversaturated colors and the simplicity of the composition.

And lastly, here’s some additional artwork that I had been working on that I totally forgot about until I looked through my photo album. Clouds seem to feature quite prominently in my past work.

Thank you again for reading. Be well.