The Weight of Clouds

Inspired by Mary Oliver’s Clouds, this piece mirrors the transformation that comes through struggle. Lines from the poem are layered into the work, blending with torn fragments from an old book about painting clouds, a gel print, and augmented reality to capture the emotional turbulence of chasing perfection in art.

My year-long struggle to paint the perfect clouds became a catalyst for transformation, turning frustration into inspiration for a whole series of art pieces. Oliver wrote, “At first they were just clouds, like any other… then they broke open. This is, I suppose, just one of the common miracles, a transformation.”

In the AR component, a virtual paintbrush sweeps across the canvas, transforming paint strokes into living, moving clouds. The soothing voice of Bob Ross narrating “Happy Little Clouds” adds humor and contrast, emphasizing the tension between creative persistence and imperfection.

Through its textured layers, integrated poetry, and AR, The Weight of Clouds reminds viewers that creative struggle, like clouds, is both heavy and transformative. It’s through this process that beauty and growth emerge.