"Lavender Clouds and a Firery Rim"
Casein on Panel
22" X 16"
$1100 Unframed

Since childhood, I have been fascinated by astronomy. A good friend, Dr. Eric Craine, suggested I paint the first coordinated attempt to photograph and record the total solar eclipse of 10 SP, 1923. The US Navy at North Island, San Diego, California, sent up sixteen aircraft including Curtiss F5-Ls and Dehavilland DH-4Bs.

Two pilots wrote truly artistic accounts of the colors and cloud descriptions displayed during the eclipse totality. One DH-4B, 2-30, was specifically mentioned and was chosen for the painting. The expedition might not have been a great success, however, it certainly fired the imaginaton of the press and public.