The sound of music

(C) 2016 Dale DiMauro

The local farmers market offers great subject matter for a studio composition or even plein air painting. It is good to run in to people you know and meet new folks. It is also a good spot to people watch. In general, I enjoy trying to capture the postures and characteristics of people, as we are such a diverse population. There are often musicians playing in the summer under one of the big maple trees as on this particular day.

This painting was a challenge because I do not usually paint facing into the sun. When painting into the sun there are opportunities to paint backlit subjects such as the light coming through the foliage. However, I didn't capitalize on those qualities even though I am proud that I was able to achieve some depth in the canopy through layering the foliage. In many ways this is a totally new experience for me as the shadows project in different directions from my typical late afternoon timeframe.

There is a charming quality with the two men standing under the protective element of the tree in the shade. I think the informal layout, posture of the musicians and soft ground give this picture an overall warm feeling.