Beauty Within The City Of Angels

Mulholland's Legacy by Marian Fortunati

 "Mulholland's Legacy"
14"x18" Oil on RayMar Panel

Can you believe that this is my 300th post on my Blogspot blog????.... I started even earlier on my on my FASO blog!!!

WOW....  It IS kind of a nice marriage, though...  I like writing..  I like painting... so blogging is a good way to go.   I enjoy sharing my thoughts and my painting and I love it when people read the blog, make comments or when they buy my paintings.

If you have read the last few posts you know that I became interested in the story of William Mulholland and his efforts to bring water to the Southland.   As I mentioned, my Dad, Jim Beach,  had researched and had created an award winning video about Mulholland.   The cascades where water comes into the Los Angeles area from the aqueduct was right near the home I lived in for 19 years so for years I have taken that gift of water for granted. 

After the post on the St. Francis Dam disaster, one of the people who commented, wondered if the William Mulholland whose vision resulted in the St. Francis Dam was the same one whose name is on the famous Mulholland Dr.  Hollywood has apparently made Mulholland Dr. known around the world as this particular blogger friend is from South Africa!   Anyhow, because I was still interested in finding more information, I Googled Mulholland's name and came up with the Mulholland Dam and Lake Hollywood which are not too far from where I live now. 

I had a morning this week when Tyler was busy so I took a drive over to the Hollywood Hills and did a little exploring.   I found Lake Hollywood which is a reservoir created by the construction of the Mulholland Dam.   Completed in 1924, the dam holds 2.5 billion gallons of water.  In 1928, after the Saint Francis Dam collapsed, killing over 500 people, the Mulholland Dam's face was reinforced by earth to further protect the homes and city of Hollywood below the dam.   Although fenced off, I could walk through the fenced area across the top of the dam and around the lake.  It was really quite lovely and I am hoping I was able to convey the sense of light and peace I found while being on top of the dam looking across the lake to the even more famous Hollywood sign.  I hope you like it!

This is the view of the dam looking in the opposite direction.  I'll probably go back another day and see if I can paint THIS view.

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