Red Sky in Morning

Red sky at night, sailors’ delight;
Red sky in morning, sailors take warning.

When there’s so much in the world that can’t be predicted, it’s comforting to witness a natural phenomenon that actually delivers on its promise. Not being a sailor, I didn’t realize it at the time, but Monday morning’s red sky warned of bad weather ahead.  And so it was. First there were ice pellets and later rain, and then on Tuesday morning, more rain and high winds. 

Supposedly, a red sunrise reflects the dust particles of a system that has just passed from the west. This indicates that a storm system may be moving to the east. If the morning sky is a deep fiery red, it means a high water content in the atmosphere. So, rain is on its way. [From Everyday Mysteries at The Library of Congress]

When I took these photographs, I was only thinking of how beautiful the blushing sky appeared behind the silhouettes of the trees.  It didn’t dawn on me that a storm was on its way.  I wonder what other ‘signs of the times’ are as potentially revealing to us as red dawns.  What else are we missing while distracted by what we are seeing on the surface of things?

…When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the heaven is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to-day: for the heaven is red and lowering. Ye know how to discern the face of the heaven; but ye cannot discern the signs of the times.
~ Jesus     Matt. 16:2-3

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November’s Red Dawn

Each time dawn appears, the mystery is there in its entirety.
~ Rene Daumal

Red dawns are thought to bring bad weather, but the warm temperatures experienced later yesterday were a welcome relief for November’s blues.

As the sky was overcast, there was no visible ‘sun’ rise. It simply seemed like the sky was blushing. The red blush lasted only a few minutes and then… was gone.

 

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October’s Complementary Palette

Overnight winds have pulled many of the leaves off the trees and beaten the vine leaves repeatedly against the bricks.  Many are now on the lawn.  It won’t be long before November’s bareness sets in.  But not yet.  There’s still time for one last look at October’s stunning palette of colours.

I’ve taken squares of colour from the photo of vines above to create a palette of hues representational of this time of year.

In art theory, red and green are considered opposite one another on the colour wheel.  These are known as complementary colours.

Some of the vine reds appear purplish and there is also some yellow present.  Purple and yellow is another complementary combination, as is the combination of orange and blue.

Whether it’s a light or bright blue,  October’s sky contrasts beautifully with orange tinged leaves.  Their warm and fiery hue manages to balance the crisp coolness of the clear blue sky, making autumn seem less chilling.

When unmuted complementary colours are placed next to each other in a painting, the line between them may appear to vibrate.   Despite the mutedness of some of October’s colours, the juxtaposition of pairs of complementary leaf and sky colours in the landscape still produces a visually vibrant liveliness that exudes warmth and excitement.  No wonder this time of year can inspire so much awe among onlookers.

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