The Saturday sketch group chose a variety of places to paint this week, about half of us choosing Greenwood Park, which is actually the park that provides the setting for the Des Moines Art center. It has a rose garden, sculptures, an amphitheater, walking paths, and a beautiful lagoon nestled in a mature grove of hardwoods. I sat in the shade of a kind old tree and let the scene carry me away. It was a hot afternoon but in the shade the breeze off the water was pleasant and cool.
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| "The Lagoon, Greenwood Park," wc |
I used a pale green wash, then established darks and medium values, mixing greens by using cad yellow and sap green with a touch of burnt sienna to mute the green. Dried foliage was painted with ochre and a touch of burnt sienna, and the stand of reeds along the water indicated with sap green darkened with Payne's grey. Masses of smoother color, darker masses washed into lighter greens, indicated reflections. I let each pass of color dry at least a few minutes before adding another layer. Watercolor dries fast in hot weather. When the colors were dry I used a mechanical pen to show foliage, especially tree edges, reeds, and the shore of the lagoon.
Besides my companions there were families with small kids, walkers, at least one fisherman (who hooked a medium-sized one just in front of me), and a few cyclists. Since the pandemic it seems parks get a lot more use. What is certain is that I'll be back here with my oil paints one of these days.
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