8x6 oil pastel, Miniwaukan Park

I was feeling a little stressed out this week so thought about not going but then my friends were coming and we were going to nice, quiet, Miniwaukan Park. So I went and I was glad I did. Actually felt sad to leave.

Nice weather; sunny, cool 60-66F, with a slight breeze.

Felt like doing oil pastels. Experimented with 6x8 canvas panel that I painted multiple layers with thinned acrylic gesso. That substrate worked very well.

Here's the finished painting. Now I plan to let it cure for at least one month.

I coated the panel with a clear and rubbed in it. Then when lightly over it with spring green and a light pinkish color to block in the basic shapes. Then rubbed these colors into the panel to get the big shapes.

 Put in some darker colors here. Moved the bottom of the right tree down a little. Made the big tree a little narrower.

Rubbed in the colors with fingers and/or paper towel. Tried a different shape for the path by wiping off some color. Got rid of the stump between the 2 trees. Removed the branches on the far left tree.

Went back to original path shape. Started putting in leaves for hickory trees. Also scratched trunks, etc. for texture. John gave me a good suggestion to darken the brush at the edge of the grass.

I set my drawing board on my lap and placed the panel on it. I only used about 10 colors of the softer, more pigment containing pastels, not counting the original clear blender that I put down originally.