Robert Flinkman

Robert Flinkman
Tree, Central Park
pastel on paper
24" X 18"
1988
copyright 1988 Robert Flinkman

 

August 7th, 1988     Sunday

Yesterday I headed to Central Park, where I worked on a scene at Bethesda Fountain......I spent longer there than I had expected - three hours. I happened to stand up and stretch and turned around and saw a beautiful tree near the boathouse where I was working, just beautiful! I'll head out there to do that.
I headed at 10:30 to the boathouse, where I started the pastel. It came out alright, I worked the usual three hours. I started fine, but toward the begining of the middle period, I was stymied and found some hard going. I believe it due actually to the intensity of the sun - I've got to start wearing a hat, really. Something simple like a straw one, white in color. I did complete the work, it looks fine.
As I worked, I couldn't help but hear the conversations of the numerous people who passed by - German, French, Japanese, Italian, maybe an East European tongue or two. A group of young Japanese came by, and a young man approached me to ask if I could pose for him, taking a picture of me working. I readily assented and he took two shots of me, with a flash. Then he took two shots of the pastel itself.