The View From Up Here: The Language and Art of Clouds
A lesson on clouds can develop into an exploration of art and creative writing.
By Jacqueline Dwyer
John Constable, the English landscape painter, called the sky the “chief organ of sentiment.” Leonardo Da Vinci called clouds “bodies without surface.” But you don’t have to be a famous painter to appreciate the beauty of clouds. All of us have enjoyed looking up into the sky and “seeing” different animals and objects in the clouds. We’ve been awestruck by the vibrant reds and oranges of a sunset. We’ve all grimaced and hurried for shelter when heavy, black thunder clouds raced across the sky. So, to simply study the science behind clouds would seem to do them an injustice. Before my son and I began a lesson on clouds, he already understood the water cycle and how clouds are formed. So, I decided to have him gain a deeper appreciation for clouds by drawing, reading and writing about them.
Unfortunately, my artistic knowledge of clouds was limited to the fact that they can be made out of cotton balls. Thus, we turned to well-known landscape painters for inspiration. Ask any landscape painter, and he will tell you that one of the most challenging aspects of his work is learning how to paint believable clouds. As a non-painter, I would automatically reach for the white paint. But, since clouds are made up of water, they actually reflect their surrounding colors. Consequently, we began by studying the traditional cloudscapes of William-Adolphe Bouguereau. In particular, we looked at his multi-layering of color, and his use of light and shade. Next, we took a more modern approach by looking at Maxwell Parrish’s art deco paintings of clouds. He paints clouds that are so nebulous, yet tangible, that they made us want to climb into the picture so we could stand and look skyward for a while.
In addition to drawing and painting clouds, we read poetry and wrote several haikus about clouds. The haiku form was perfect for us. It was easy for me to teach, and it allowed my son to be descriptive, but short, and to the point. He was also inspired to write a piece he called, “The View From Up Here“, which described what he could see from sitting on a moving cloud. In this work, he pretended to ride a cloud, journeying across America. This not only served as a great opportunity for creative writing, but also covered several aspects of social studies. From his cloud, he saw monuments, landforms, and cities. There are many clever ways to combine the study of clouds with writing and art. Here are just a few.
Cloud-Related Activities and Lessons:
Combining Clouds and Art in the Classroom
Students explore how Western artists have represented clouds in landscape painting. Students hone their cloud identification skills and make their own cloud paintings.
Students learn about different cloud types. They also engage in abstract thinking through writing and painting clouds.
Students compare their observations of clouds to April Gornik's painting. They use this information to create their own watercolor paintings of clouds.
Students observe clouds, make cloud charts, and write a poem about clouds.