ROSITA'S BRIDGE

"Rosita's Bridge" 24" x 30" oil/linen

In San Antonio the river winds its way through downtown and serves as a major tourist attraction with many fine restaurants, shops, galleries and historical buildings. A visitor can take a guided tour of downtown on a flat boat. There are several bridges like this one that connects one side of the river to the other.

This particular bridge is named after Rosita Fernandez who was an internationally known singer during the 1920's when she made San Antonio her home. The flat stage on the right side of the painting serves as an outdoor theater for stage productions and musicals. Sandra Bullock shot a scene for "Miss Congeniality" on this stage. Rosita performed for over thirty years on the stage raising money for local children's charities.

The interesting challenge of painting this bridge is that it is in sunlight for only twenty minutes a day. The rest of the time it is covered by the shadows of the tall downtown buildings that line the river. There's another bridge to the right of this one so if you time it right you can paint both bridges from the same location. For me to get this painting and stay out of the way of the many visitors walking along the side of the river, I had to stand in the flower garden of a local restaurant. I had a nice audience of people eating on the outdoor patio right above me.