Painting en plein air the George Washington Statue Lafayette Park

SUMMARY OF PLACE:

This statue of George Washington resides at Lafayette Park in St. Louis city.  The day was cold, but tolerable.  The sky was slightly overcast, creating a sky that was somewhat lighter in value than one on a clear day.  Conversely, the diffusion of light slightly darkened the earth values.  I have been studying values lately, learning that a black object in sunlight is likely lighter in value than a white object in shadow.  When I compare the value of the sunlit side of black base to the shadow side of sea-green base, I see that the concept holds true. 

INSPIRATION:

I enjoy painting the bronze statues found throughout Saint Louis, particularly in winter.  This statue especially caught my attention on this day because the President's Day holiday was coming soon, and the sculpture captured George Washington's likeness extremely well.  I was intrigued to attempt to capture his likeness in my painting.  This view of the statue appealed to me because the row of Victorian homes in the distance aptly placed the statue in its home, Lafayette Square. 

President's Day Watercolor 12X16