Weekend Doings including more Painting Activity

Wasn't it a wonderful weekend?  I hope everyone had as good a time as we did and had a chance to get outside and appreciate the coming spring.  We not only did that but also celebrated D's birthday with one of his sisters. 

And I have to send a special thank you to her for being responsible for my first ice cream cone of the season.  She came and urged us to go to our favorite ice cream stand as she wanted a hot fudge sundae.  She had that, D had a small cone with peanut butter chip ice cream (I tasted it and both of us decided it didn't need to be put on our "must have" list of ice cream flavors), and I chose a small cone with a scoop of white chocolate raspberry.  That was good and would be acceptable on days when I feel I need a break from one of my standards Moose Tracks/Panda Paws or Cinnamon Bun.

After A left, D decided to work outside, and I went to the studio with the idea of doing more organizing, then some painting followed by sewing.  Well, when I glanced at the painting - still in the same state it was in after my studio class - I felt impelled to work on it.  So I painted for the rest of the day except for a lunch break.  Here's how it looks now:

I can see areas that still need more work as well as areas that are obviously not even begun.  However, I am happy with both the car and the palm trees as they seem to bring balance to the scene.  Don't get the idea that I think they are perfect because they most certainly are not, but they do help the overall composition.

This is a close up of the three tourists, and I got a real tickle out of the T-shirt worn by the man with the black shorts.  Can you tell what the shirt says?  In order to see it better, you'll have to click on the image so you can see it in full screen mode.  I need to ask for some help from Sharon with skin tones as I don't want them all to look the same.  Then the sunglasses and the beer! 

I had a lot of fun painting these palm trees but now worry that they may be too vivid.  I hope not because I want to make that purple car more intense, too.  Well, we'll see how it goes.  I think the young woman's tank top color will be the deciding factor, and I've haven't a clue what it will be.  Okay, maybe a clue, but it isn't fact, yet