Framed Contemporary Skyscape Prints
A close relative of landscape art is framed contemporary skyscape art. There is some overlap between these two subject areas, as landscape art typically includes a sky, and many skyscapes include some land or water. If these things are omitted, it can be difficult to obtain a sense of scale in the piece, which can be used to interesting effect.
Cloudscapes are a particular type of framed contemporary skyscape art paintings. Many artists who painted landscapes also painted skyscapes and cloudscapes. One example of an early influence in this area is seventeenth-century Dutch painter Jacob van Ruisdael with works like “A Cornfield with the Zuiderzee in the Background” and “View of Alkmaar.” Ruisdael’s attention to detail of the shading among the clouds is a common feature in cloudscape paintings.
Perspective is a factor in framed contemporary skyscape art pictures. Some painters show the sky as seen from the ground, such as in “Purgatory” by James W. Johnson or “Sonoran Sunrise” by Saija Lehtonen. “Big Sky” by Paul Krapf uses a panoramic format to portray the vastness of the sky. These paintings take a realistic approach, while Scott Naismith takes a more abstract approach in “Cumulus Light 2” and “Glasgow Sky.”
Other artists show the sky from mid-air, as if one were flying in an airplane. In fact, British artist Pat Speirs incorporates airplanes into his works, including “Portrait of an Icon” and “And Comes Safe Home.” Marina Petro applies a more abstract style to her mid-air skyscapes like “Red Moon” and “Approaching Mars,” the latter of which goes so far as to portray the sky as seen from outer space.