Nothing but Blue Skies

Stoke-by-Nayland, 1836, John Constable
"The sky alters our day. As soon as we open our eyes, the light in the window colors the way many of us approach family, school, work. The sky, whether clear, overcast, or threatening storms, is a dramatic visual character in our daily stories. Artists have approached the sky in many ways. John Constable was an influential British painter who harbored an intense curiosity about skies and weather. He went on sketching outings he called 'skying' during which he closely observed the sky and clouds. In Stoke-by-Nayland (1836) the earth is a muddle of dark colors and shapes that blend into one another. ..."
Art Institute of Chicago

Valley of Aosta: Snowstorm, Avalanche, and Thunderstorm, 1836/37, Joseph Mallord William Turner