Those clouds drifting around in the sky are in natural form. They change every second. But then notice details like the satellite dishes on top and those wind vanes. It's actually a wonderful place to teach art. For most cadets, it is second nature that training to be good at anything involves self-discipline, perseverance, and the ability to deal with frustration.
Painting involves discipline, perseverance, and the willingness to endure frustration.
VMI and teaching art are actually a great match. Every student of art at one point assumes that he or she is the only person who has ever felt their particular level of frustration. I often remind students that how the artist deals with frustration speaks volumes of that individual. Just because one is frustrated doesn't mean one has no talent. And a prodigious amount of work Hobbs has produced during his decades of painting.