outdoors in the park

Lovely summer days here lately, although on the hot side.
I have been reading a book by Craig Nelson, "60 Minutes to Better Painting". The inspiring idea here is to sharpen your skills of observation and decision making as a painter by doing quick studies. These are the beginning stages as I have worked though the lessons. A really rough composition sketch first, breaking up shapes with a geometric approach.

Then, another quick study using what Craig Nelson calls a two-value study. And this is as far as I got in the 60 minutes. I decided to return another day to the same little park to practice the steps again and maybe get a little farther.
I am not at all happy about this first effort, but I am eager to learn something from this book and improve.
Craig Nelson graduated from the same school where I earned my degree; The Art Center College of Design. He also was teaching there at the time that I was a student but I didn't take a class from him, although I remember some other students talking about his class.