Observatory

Oil on Canvas

16.75"  x  24"

I grew up in the shadow of the Griffith Park Observatory in the Hollywood hills. By car it was over 5 windy miles away, but by following the deadend roads straight towards it, then climbing the loose sandstone slopes beyond that, it was an arduous half mile of parched throats, twisted ankles and threatening rattlesnakes. Well worth the trip. The building itself is a classical Art Deco structure built in the early 30's, used for the filming of "Rebel Without a Cause." The entry hall features a pendulum and ceiling lined with murals by Hugo Balen, whose work was one of my earliest inspirations. This painting, however, was inspired by Monet's "Manneporte" in which he utilized a combination of yellows and oranges to create the sensation of scintillating sunlight with complimentary blues infiltrating the shadows.