Storm Clouds and Cedars

I was out for a drive at my brother-in-law's place near Red Cloud, Nebraska, taking photos of the sky when these ominous clouds started rolling over the pasture. I remember the change in the air, and a palpable energy as the sky darkened. The central cedar tree in this image lined up with a downward peak in the storm cloud, creating a touch point between this dramatic sky and the pastures below. And the last bit of the sun reflected on the country road as it fell below the horizon. I love the dramatic shapes in the this image. I already mentioned the prominent cedar tree, but the clouds also have a rhythmic feel to them. Repetitive dark fingers stretch across the sky at different scales and degrees of darkness. And an almost-black shelf cloud drives the storm below. I painted this storm with a dry brush technique, letting the texture of the canvas stretch the paint thin at the edges of the cloud structures. I used thicker paint and an alla prima technique to render the pasture and cedar trees below. A contrast in texture delineates the ground from the sky, but a similar energy and drama unites the piece.