The Perris, CA project. I recently finished a series of eight paintings depicting the downtown area of Perris, CA (all three blocks of it) with mostly empty stores. I was struck by the emptiness of the site, empty stores that is decimated by nearby big box stores literally putting small businessmen out of business. I'm sure a sight repeated all over America in small towns everywhere. Paintings are only nine inches high by various lengths from 18" to 52" running horizontally.

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Ponte Alle Grazie, Florence, Italy (for the back-story click here)

The Ponte alle Grazie is a bridge over the Arno River in Florence, Italy. The original Ponte alle Grazie was constructed in 1227. It was rebuilt in 1345 with nine arches, making it the oldest and longest bridge in Florence. Two of the arches were filled in during 1347 in order to widen the Piazza dei Mozzi. Structures were built on the bridge, similar to the world-famous Ponte Vecchio (in the upper left in the painting), but were eventually abandoned and removed in 1876. In August, 1944, the bridge was destroyed by the Nazi army as they withdrew before the advancing Allied forces in World War II. Following the end of the War, a competition was held to create a new design for a replacement bridge (the current one) was completed in 1953.