Musicians at Balboa Park

It is really warm in Southern California just now. Today is December 15, and Balboa Park was full of people dressed for summer and enjoying San Diego’s weather, museums, green spaces, and trails.

I spent the morning at the art museum and left full of resolve to be bolder with shapes, colors, and textures. Then I paused to listen to three musicians who were basking in the sun and playing songs from my youth. They were a perfect subject for a quick sketch. I painted without first putting pastel or pencil marks down on the paper, trying to make my resolve materialize in my sketchbook.

This is a gouache sketch in a 9 X 9-inch sketchbook with black paper.