Greene Brothers' Only Bridge

I knew it had been a few years since I painted the Oaklawn Bridge in South Pasadena.  But three and a half years was a surprise.  Here is my watercolor of the bridge from 2013, Oaklawn Bridge.  The 1906 bridge is the only bridge designed by legendary architects Charles and Henry Greene.  South Pasadena is lucky to have this landmark.  It used to span the Santa Fe rail line that today is used by the light rail Gold Line, Los Angeles Metro.

I find painting the bridge to be deceptively difficult.  Its graceful curves and subtle accents all catch the light and shadows in interesting ways.  I'm always looking for strong verticals to compliment a horizontal subject like this bridge.  This location has plenty of utility poles as well as overhead wires and cables for the electric railroad.

8" x 10" Watercolor