ELAINE MARIE LIGHTHOUSE ART
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Voices of Lighthouses Blog 
Elinor DeWire was right when she said, Lighthouses are not just stone, brick, metal and glass. 
There’s a human story at every lighthouse...” When I paint lighthouses I try to capture their story, souland spirit. I hope you will enjoy these short  ​and entertaining  lighthouse stories

New Beginnings

10/29/2020

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In 1830s, German and Irish immigrants built a new canal to connect Lake Pontchartrain to the city of New Orleans. Before completion, Congress authorized a light at the entrance to New Canal. The lighthouse has been rebuilt several times and one was auctioned. 
The current New Canal Lighthouse is a replica that was built after severe damage from Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita in 2005. The pilings were destroyed but the lighthouse remained mostly intact until a cold front destroyed what was left of the lighthouse. The wood from the 1890 lighthouse is now a part of the current lighthouse. Through the efforts of the Lake Pontchartrain Foundation the lighthouse was restored and reopened in 2013.

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A Purpose in Paradise

10/3/2020

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Built in 1907, the Hillsboro Lighthouse has an idyllic setting. Swaying palms trees and calming azure water, belay it’s noble purpose. The lighthouse was built after four centuries of wrecks on area reefs. It has a black and white day mark. The top of the lighthouse is painted black to make it visible above the trees. The bottom white half contrasts against the trees.  


The lighthouse, also called "Big Diamond" is unique. With of a beam of 28 nautical miles, it is has the strongest light beam of all US lighthouses. It has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1978. 


The lighthouse was built after four centuries of wrecks on area reefs. It has a black and white day mark. The top of the lighthouse is painted black to make it visible above the trees. The bottom white half contrasts against the trees.  My painting contrasts the day mark of the lighthouse against a peaceful and tropical setting.
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After the Rain

10/2/2020

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I painted Cape Florida Lighthouse after a week of rain. I drove to Key Biscayne to see the lighthouse on a sunny Florida. Standing behind a canopy of palm trees, the beautiful lighthouse towered against a clear blue sky. The lighthouse was surrounded by mangroves and not condos, thanks to the park's namesake, Bill Baggs. The Bill Baggs State Park was opened in 1967 foiling efforts by developers. 


Cape Florida Lighthouse has witnessed many struggles, hardships, and endured a fire.  It has withstood more than 4 dozen hurricanes, including Hurricane Andrew. Its existence predates the founding of the of Miami.  During the Second Seminole Wars in 1836, the lighthouse was destroyed. The lighthouse was rebuilt in 1846-47.
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A Fallen Lighthouse is More Dangerous than a Reef-Navjot Singh Sidhut

10/2/2020

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After falling in the Gulf of Mexico, Cape St. George Lighthouse was restored in 2011 with the support of the local community, state and federal governments. The current lighthouse was constructed from the remains of the second lighthouse in 1852. 

In the 1800s the Gulf Coast of Florida the third busiest port in Florida for transporting cotton. The Cape St. George Lighthouse was built in 1833 to mark Apalachicola Bay. Because the mariners could not see the lighthouse it was rebuilt in 1852 at the southern extreme of St. George Island. After powerful storms, the lighthouse was rebuilt in 1852. Hurricanes, storms and beach erosion would eventually take its toll on the lighthouse. In 2005 the 1852 lighthouse collapsed into the Gulf of Mexico. 

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    When I am not traveling to or painting lighthouses, I am writing or researching lighthouses. 

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