Shedding Light On The Subject

 My Southern Pacific Museum has been greatly enhanced by the fine work of a local company; Duke Electric.

I made the acquaintance of Juan Sanchez last summer while I was involved in creating this space. He came on a Sunday and he and I spent the day together. He went up into the attic and replaced some wiring while adding new runs. He installed switches on the wall to operate the ceiling fan and lights. He hung my 1930s era light fixtures and replaced the incandescent bulbs with LEDs.

 I now consider him a good friend.

While he was here last summer, he prepared for track lighting by pre-installing junction boxes over the ceiling. Yesterday he and his  brother in law arrived to install the track lighting itself.

While I have enjoyed the museum very much until yesterday, anyone would agree that the track lighting makes everything "pop."

If you were visiting a museum, would you enjoy viewing this scene:

or this:

Compare this scene:

to this:

Many thanks, Juan! You're the only electrician I'll ever call.

Crossing Tehachapi Creek

 

I just added a framed print to the north wall of the SP room. It sits over the Western Union counter. Anyone who has seen the completed work of art agree that it is breathtaking. 

It is the product of three men from different parts of the country. Each played their part by contributing their talents.

John Winfield is a prolific painter in Fort Worth, Texas. He grew up in California, but has lived in the Metroplex for many years. He is frequently sought after for commissions. His Facebook page lists many prints available, of which I was fortunate to obtain this one. One can only imagine the increasing value of his original works.

Jim Hinkhouse , the owner of Trackside Prints and Hobbies, grew up in Denver. He has always loved trains and began modeling at age five. A man of many talents, he is a retired Lutheran pastor who served parishes in South Dakota, Colorado and Texas before retiring into his current occupation. He resides in Georgetown, Texas and sells many pieces of art by John Winfield.

Ed Lloyd is a Bakersfield artist who is also part of the excellent team at the Bakersfield Hobby Lobby framing gallery. When I showed him my John Winfield print, fresh out of its mailing tube, I saw an unusual sparkle come into his eyes. He was bowled over by the vibrant colors in the print.

I watched him try different shades of matboard over the print. One of his co-workers told me later that Ed had some favorite mat colors he was saving for a special project. My print proved to be perfect for those colors.

His choice for the double mat makes the print appear almost 3D, especially the smoke coming from the locomotive. He used museum-grade glass and framed the work to match his other projects in my SP room.

Both Jim Hinkhouse and Ed Lloyd are stunned by the finished product. This artwork has been both a great "perfect storm," and a "sum exceeding its parts."