Monsoon Season

Monsoon Season - 

           

We have been having a spectacular “monsoon” season this summer.  We always want rain in Arizona and no matter how much we get, we always want more and we can always use more.  The old saying in the Southwest is “Whiskey is for drinking and water is for fighting.”  I was working in the gallery (Arts Prescott Cooperative Gallery in Prescott, AZ) one morning when we got a big downpour, a gulley washer.  Our upstairs neighbor ducked inside to get out of the rain and shouted out, “Glorious weather!” Only in Arizona would you hear that joyful pronouncement in response to a cloud-bursting, street flooding thunderstorm. 

Along with the rain, we also have great cloud shows and this year they have been particularly spectacular all times of day.  The sunrises produce golden morning light; we get big beautiful white cotton-candy clouds in the daytime and coral-colored, dazzling sunsets. I have taken to pulling over to the side of roads and snapping photos.  I routinely carry a camera with me when I take the dogs on their morning walks.  It’s wonderful to watch the clouds swelling up and take over the sky. They tower above the thirsty landscape like skyscrapers, which I guess they are.  I have always thought that watercolor is the best medium to use to capture the fabulous clouds we have out here in the Southwest.  It captures the wonderful colors and softness of the shapes.  This summer of 2012-cloud show continues to amaze and delight everyday.  I have done many paintings of our monsoon clouds over the years in watercolor, oil paint and pastels and love the challenge as well as being surrounded by these great seasonal Vaporous Beings.