Rosedale Memorial Arch

Last winter, we had an unusually warm day for a midwestern January. Kimberly and I decided to head out to the Rosedale Memorial Arch. We'd never visited the arch before, although we had seen it far atop a Kansas City hillside for many years as we passed on I-35. I brought my paints, and Kimberly her camera. If you live in the midwest, you know how important it is to get outside on a mild winter day. 

"Rosedale Memorial Arch" (oil on canvas, 24"x20") by Patrick Saunders

When I say mild, it was still cold, but I unfortunately underestimated just how cold it really was. Within an hour, after struggling with stiff paints, I was ready to go. While extremely rough, I was happy with the results. I knew that I would eventually revisit in the studio.

"Rosedale Memorial Arch Sketch" (oil on canvas, 16"x12") by Patrick Saunders

For the studio version, I pushed the temperature contrasts and gave the arch a bit more breathing room. The shadow of the fence in the foreground adds a lot to the image. It's also obvious that with more time, I was able to do a much better job with the perspective.

http://www.kansastravel.org/kansascitykansas/rosedalearch.htm