Cumulus, stratus, cirrus, nimbus.
Objects with these strange names affect our lives in many ways. Like a bucket overfilled with water, they pour out rain and snow; with the wind as their partner, they whip up tornadoes and hurricanes; in a pile of styles and sizes, they dress up a clear sky. Like a mother’s arms, they encircle the land with protection and love. We call them clouds.
Artists show us the beauty of clouds in their works of art. John Constable’s (1776–1837) heart lay in a lifelong study of clouds, and he painted them with almost scientific accuracy. He called his study “skying.”
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