I had the great privilege to spend the entire day sketching and painting the Jefferson Memorial, in the Tidal Basin, just off the National Mall in Washington, D.C. What a joy to look at this splendid piece of architecture all day! And I think the painting turned out well! At 11” x 14,” the painting is larger than most of my plein air “dailies,” but in some ways larger is easier to paint than smaller. I may do it more often.
Geoff Watson, “The Jefferson Memorial,” June daily painting #13, oil on panel, 11” x 14,” 2019.
Here’s my setup. The weather was glorious, and I had lots of friendly visitors to my easel. Lots of people wanted photos of me with my painting, brush in hand, and I was happy to oblige. :)
Geoff Watson, Photo of my plein air setup at the Jefferson Memorial, June 12, 2019.
As it happens, the nearest restroom was in the Jefferson Memorial itself, so I enjoyed a pleasant 20-minute walk from my easel to the monument. It was great to reacquaint myself with the famous statue. I prefer Lincoln as a President, but from a purely artistic standpoint, the Jefferson Memorial is an unparalleled work of architecture.
Geoff Watson, Photo of the Statute of Thomas Jefferson, June 12, 2019.
I also enjoyed re-reading the stirring quotations on the walls. Yes, I know these omit Jefferson’s awful side; to get a complete picture of the man, one needs to read, say, his “Notes on the State of Virginia.” But that didn’t stop me from reciting the famous lines from the Declaration of Independence, out loud, in the (thankfully empty) elevator.
Geoff Watson, Photo of Excerpt from the Declaration of Independence, June 12, 2019.