Persistence at Fairmount Park

"The Yellow Tree" 8 x 10 Oil on Canvas by Terry d. Chacon

Last weekend Patricia Rose Ford and I set out to paint the beautiful Jacaranda's that were in bloom all around. Fairmount Park Riverside, California City of Arts & Innovation is especially beautiful this time of year and the reflections in the water are just fabulous. We both finished our paintings (image below) and really I was not happy with mine. I was so dumb founded because I had dreams about painting the Jacaranda's and was so excited to finally paint them for the first time this year. I tried and tried to make them look like what I was seeing (scraped off paint, started again etc.) and what I had visions of in my head and was so disappointed in the painting when I arrived home. I kept looking at the painting and trying to figure where I went wrong. Maybe I tried to put too much in, the mountain in the distance was grabbing my attention more than the Jacaranda's. The sunlit tree beside the Jacaranda was way to bright, maybe that was the problem. What I came to the conclusion was the Jacaranda's were not right, everything else in the painting was fine.

So this morning I got up and headed back out to Fairmount Park. When I arrived they had blocked off the area where I had parked before so I had to drive down around the lake and outside the park. I unloaded my gear and set out. All the while trying to figure out how I could capture those beautiful purple trees. I couldn't use purple because it was too cool. I couldn't use magenta because that was what I used last time and it was too cool. Aha! Permanent Rose and look what I got. I am so excited with the painting above, it is exactly what I had visioned and dreamed about. I finally have my Jacaranda painting.........I think that little yellow tree in the middle that the sun was hitting which ended up being my focal point really set off the Jacaranda's all around.


Until next time, ENJOY THE ART! A very happy camper, Terry d. Chacon

I get many comments on FaceBook, but this painting has had some really special one's. This is from Bear Rowell who used to live in S. Ca.

For many of us, the beautiful jacaranda trees are emblematic of California; of our childhood awakening to the beauty around us, to the power it has to beguile us. Their fleeting nature is part of the lesson; we accept it and we love them no less. But that deep density of color, that extraordinary play of the leaves... there is nothing like them. I have never seen them captured before. You have created such a beautiful painting.

Thank you Bear and everyone else who has commented, I really wanted to capture those Jacaranda's and to know that everyone is enjoying my painting makes me feel really great!

PS: SALE SALE SALE Just to let all of you know June is a special month and I am offering 10% off all my Lost Wax Bronze Sculptures. http://www.terrydchacon.com/ Contact me for details. shacone@aol.com