Wednesday, March 04, 2009

Prayer of the Presidio_36 x 36 oil

Click to enlarge.
"Prayer of the Presidio"__36 x 36 oil on linen__framed for Cowgirl Up! show, Wickenburg, AZ, March 26-29.
I posted the smaller study for this one, yesterday. I wish you could see it in person. Because it is full of rich dark values, I had a hard time photographing it well...no telling how it looks on your monitor! Below is a detail of the left side of the painting. Ckick on either image to enlarge and see some detail, but, I was an awful photographer today!...
Click the link to read about Presidio La Bahia , which is not a mission, but a fort in Goliad, TX. It is the site of the awful battle of Col. Fannin and his men. 342 were killed there, and when you visit the place, you get a real heavy feeling.
I derived this painting from La Bahia, though I took artistic license with some specifics...It is a beautiful and beloved Texas historical treasure. It is listed in Fitzroy and Dearbons International Dictionary of Historic Places as one of the 186 most historic places in the Americas. It is a MUST SEE if you visit this area...beautiful and non commercial.
Located in the niche above the chapel entrance is the statue of Our Lady of Loreto sculpted by Lincoln Borglum, of Mt. Rushmore fame. You can barely see it in my painting detail below, on the right side above the circular window.

"Prayer of the Presidio"__detail...click to enlarge

1 comment:

Diana Moses Botkin said...

So interesting! That last gloaming light at the horizon is my favorite part.