Changing from the real color to something better

It's really blue, the LBJ Junction School.

After painting it blue, I read the Bill James Masterclass article in an issue of International Artist. The magazine joined me for coffee on the deck, while the author explained and encouraged the use of complementary colors to add excitement and unity to paintings. Guess which painting immediately presented itself for a redo?

The blue is sort of blah, right?  The grassy hill felt ok to me, so I chose its complement, orangey red, to liven up the building. That was like a stand-back, wow reaction. Continuing Bill's advice, I worked lighter values of the greens and orange into the trees and sky. Which is better?

I took my reference photo 5 or 6 years ago, but often thought about the great profile of the school at the top of the hill. Lyndon B. Johnson first attended the one room Junction School when he was 4. As president, he returned to sign one of his major education bills at Junction School, his first teacher by his side. 
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