Painting en plein air in Forest Park, just east of the Grand Basin

SUMMARY OF PLACE:: It was a fairly common March day in Saint louis, way too windy and far too cold for the last day of winter. Just thinking about it gives one an ear ache. The sky was overcast, with few discernible clouds. Still, the distant form of the Chase Park Plaza hotel was modeled by light. The incessant wind obliterated water reflections in the narrow canal leading to the Grand Basin. The popular park had relatively few patrons as the windy, cold weather made for an uncomfortable visit.
INSPIRATION:: This scene initially appealed to me because it seemed to be a very representative image of Forest Park (Saint Louis, MO), spacious park grounds backdropped by city architecture. In particular, this view provided a view of the stately Chase Park Plaza hotel on Kingshighway boulevard, just east of the park. However, as I stood there (painting en plein air), it became obvious that the dominant adjectives on this particular day were windy and cold, and that is what I ended up painting.