Monday in the Park

 

This painting was handled differently than many of my other plein air paintings.  I started with an a toned board like most of my paintings.  I then developed a full under painting in a complimentary color.  The red under painting was the opposite color of what I intended the finished painting to be.   I handled the pastel through the under painting in a very light manner so that I could add layers of local color at the end.  I moved gradually towards the local color slowly adding layers of color that approached what I wanted. The local colors bring the composition into balance.  This painting is my version of a pointillist painting.  Although this painting is not composed with small dots of color, the prismatic colors laid down in many individual strokes are intended to produce that same visual feeling.