I went and painted at Vista Hermosa park in downtown Los Angeles with Manuel today. It was beautiful! Clear autumn light and one of the best views of the city. If you live in LA, you should go some time and bring a picnic or painting supplies.
I wish I'd brought my camera! After I sketched the painting in, three little kids came over, 6, 4, and 2, and they wanted to paint so I opened my palette, gave them some brushes and let them have at it. They painted two big yellow suns, a giant soccer player in the corner, bright color shapes here and there, lots of brushstrokes and lines. Children just like to put paint on the canvas and stir color around! It was great! There were moments like Hans Hoffmann or Cy Twombly. Honestly I really liked what they did, I miss that I didn't get a picture. When they stopped then I took over and painted the view before me. It was very interactive. What a great way to lay the piece in! It was fun to work against all their randomness, it created a struggle for me which makes for passion in the piece. I like this one much better than my first attempt: older vista hermosa park blog. oil on canvas, 24 by 36