About This Project

From Multimedia Artist Kelly DeLay:

The Clouds 365 Project represents my commitment to do something creative every day. Beginning July 1, 2009, I will shoot an image or video of clouds every day for 365 days. On days that are cloudless or rainy, I will have to stretch creatively to illustrate the day. There are no rules, I just want to react and see where this project takes me.

Clouds 365 is not intended to be separate from my everyday life. I want this practice of observation to be tied into the fabric of my life—the habit of looking up and noticing the patterns and beauty of the clouds that envelop us every single day.

Embarking on this project has also caused me to think about the values that I am pursuing. The Clouds 365 is dedicated to

Art, Learning, Determination, Process, Pattern & Obsession.

Art is the most obvious facet of Clouds 365. Over the course of the year, I will create hundreds of individual pieces of art, all around a central theme. After years of neglecting my creative drive in favor of business and management, making this commitment to art is a welcome chance to turn back to something I love.

Learning has always been important to me. I’ve tried a lot of paths, sometimes just to learn something new. And I’ve always been interested in clouds. During this year, I don’t just want to take pictures of clouds; I want to learn the “why” and “how” of clouds. I want to know more about this landscape I daydream beneath and how clouds affect all of us here below.

Determination is the stuff all worthwhile projects are built on. It’s not easy to do anything every single day, and this project depends on following through every day—365 days in a row. I appreciate the discipline of it, and I love the example it will be for my children.

Process matters. Good work flow can be satisfying in its own right apart from the success of the final product. Effective work flow allows me to maximize the outcome of my work while minimizing the costs. I want my process to be open and transparent.

Part of the challenge in developing my process has been keeping my equipment with me to capture the right moment. Although I originally intended to use my Canon G9 and Apple iPhone 3GS along with my Canon 5D Mark II, I found that I’m unwilling to sacrifice the image quality I have with the Canon 5D for the convenience of a smaller, lighter camera. This means that the Canon 5D is on me wherever I go, which impacts the flow of all my activities and keeps the project “heavy” on my mind.

Pattern is everywhere, and it fascinates me. My hope is that, by recording these images of clouds every day for a year, I will be able to look back and find patterns in the clouds themselves and in my work recording them. I don’t know yet what I will find or what it will mean, but the Clouds 365 Project gives me the chance to wonder and to gather the data to explore. Maybe I will find weather patterns reflected in my images. Even more interesting, maybe I will find patterns in my composition, observation and documentation of the clouds.

Obsession, in my experience, is a natural tendency among artists, and I am not immune. Obsession can certainly be bad, but there’s some good in it as well. And it may be an essential component to making this project a success. The obsessive in me embraces the relentlessness and single-mindedness of Clouds 365. I’ll be here every day. You’re free to come and go.

Proceeds of the Clouds 365 Project will benefit Smile Train, a charity devoted to repairing cleft lips and palettes in children, and Donors Choose,which pairs donors with classrooms in need. I use my donations to support art and music education in kindergarten classrooms. We use PayPal if you wish to donate to the Clouds 365 Project. I appreciate your support

On a personal note, I would like to thank my wife Stephanie (the editor) and my two daughters for their constant support and inspiration. I would also like to thank my friends Manny, Misty, Justin, Nicco and Laurie for their help and encouragement. I could not do this without them.

Thanks for your interest in Clouds 365. If you have comments or suggestions, you can contact me here. I would like to hear from you.

~ Kelly DeLay