Cumulus clouds over the Dutch landscape

This theme evening at Aquarelmere on 1 September 2011 was about sky. When I think about traditional paintings on this theme then it is paintings from 1750 until 1900. I think Dutch and also American painters were famous for painting sky. These days we take our mobile phone or any device with a camera and just make a photo but in the old days they had to be quick to capture the scenery.

So I painted from a photo someone had uploaded to the Internet.

I think I need to revisit this subject many more times. Sky scenery is doing something to the composition. Normally I would have the horizon on for example one third from the bottom but that is not working so well actually. I have seen classical paintings of sky where the horizon was placed lower; one fifth from the bottom for example. That works much better with a massive sky formations that really fill the painting. I need to try this the next time.