Painting en plein air at Northeast corner of Lafayette Park

SUMMARY OF PLACE:: It was a clear, beautiful spring day, nary a cloud. The forsythia bushes and daffodils were in full bloom, along with light-pink flowering trees. Lafayette Park is the oldest park west of the Mississippi. The park is located in the National Historic District of Lafayette Sqare. It was once the home of Saint Louis's most wealthy and influential citizens. The park is surrounded by Victorian homes and gardens.
INSPIRATION:: On this day, I went looking for forsythia. Their characteristic yellow is a common sight in Missouri in early spring, and I wanted to capture the color before it was gone for another year. I have always wanted to paint forsythia under a purple, threatening, spring sky because of juxtaposition of complimentary colors. Sadly, on this day there was not a cloud in the sky. Much to my delight, in this view, a large, untrimmed forsythia bush lay nicely in front of the silhouetted bluish-purple shape of the Victorian homes on the park's east side. As I was looking east in early morning, the row of homes along Mississippi Avenue in the distance appeared dark blue.