Cloud Appreciation

In NYC we often find that large and interesting clouds suddenly form - they frame and temporarily become part of the architecture and filter the light in interesting ways (this one was above the new NYU student center facing Washington Square Park). Certain painters who lived in NYC for many years such as Willem de Kooning would mention the quality of the light, created by the interaction of the weather and air, as being important to their work. If you are very high up in a skyscraper, or at the edges of Manhattan facing one of the rivers, the light is sometimes reflected strongly into the glass of the buildings adding to the intensity of the atmosphere. Here is a link to an organization, The Cloud Appreciation Society, based in Great Britain. The organization celebrates the best clouds seen in various locations around the country and has members worldwide. Great Britain having an island/maritime temperate climate not so dissimilar to New York made me realize that perhaps we should participate more in cloud appreciation ourselves ...