Prints are also available here
ORIGINAL painting watercolor & gouache & ink
31″ wide x 24′ high -$500.
“Aspinwall” a painting of the rooftops of Aspinwall from Route 28 is the original painting by Carol Skinger. It is a watercolor, gouache & ink painted a full sheet of 400 lb watercolor paper.
Prints are also available here
What’s in the painting?
Where Brilliant Railroad Bridge meets Aspinwall lies the beautiful new Aspinwall Riverfront Park which has received awards. Architect Eric Fisher won the AIA People’s Choice Award for his design re-purposing the Aspinwall Marina. AIA awarded this project a Certificate of Merit in Historic Preservation.
At far left in the painting the chateaux style yellow brick building is on Maple Avenue It is a former convent of Saint Scholastica Church in Aspinwall built in 1925. The architect of the former convent Edward J. Weber was a native of Cincinnati who studied architecture at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris and traveled throughout Europe. He came to practice in Pittsburgh, where he had a number of Roman Catholic commissions, of which this convent was one. Weber clearly loved the medieval period, even writing in 1927 that this was when, “art was at its best.” In this convent, he seems to have been inspired by the 15th century Château du Moulin in the Loire valley, which clearly was the inspiration for Central Catholic High School in Oakland. Information on the architect is thanks to historian Frank Kurtik, Docent at Heinz Memorial Chapel and a former Heinz family archivist. Very near it is Christ the Divine Teacher Catholic Academy (formerly called St. Scholastica School), and Saint Scholastica Church.
The red brick church sitting more or less in the center of the painting is the Aspinwall Presbyterian Church. Everything but the church’s tower burned down in 1999 and was rebuilt immediately. The new sanctuary a KSBA Architects design, has a wood-beamed ceiling and interior cross plan with a wide center aisle and holds a 40 pipe Luley type organ. Four large Hunt Studio designed stained glass circular windows illuminate the sanctuary.
Brilliant Railroad Bridge a truss bridge spanning the Allegheny River beyond, was built in 1904 by the Pennsylvania Railroad as part of a bypass of the narrow tracks around downtown Pittsburgh. The rail line has been out of use since the Azcon Metals scrapyard on the outskirts of Aspinwall ceased functions around 2010. It connects Aspinwall with Highland Park. On the Aspinwall side it lands at the Aspinwall Riverfront Park and at the other end is very near Choderwood, a house was built by the Corps of Engineers in 1905. The property is a unique private residence that sits on the Allegheny River at the Highland Park Dam. Choderwood is an “ideal space for individuals planning smaller scale events and gatherings. Perfect for intimate weddings, rehearsal dinners, bridal showers, family reunions, special events, birthday parties, corporate retreats, or relaxation.”
D.J. Bryant, a designer at AE7 Planners and Architects, proposed a bike and pedestrian use for the Brilliant Railroad Bridge an ambitious new idea—the Brilliant Branch Rail-to-Trail—in a July 2017 Next Pittsburgh article. It would increase connectivity and access to safe, affordable transportation options for several communities in the city. I hope this becomes a reality.
Keep up with Riverfront 47 .
Hydroelectric power could be fueling the homes and businesses being developed in the Riverfront 47 project along the Allegheny River in Aspinwall and Sharpsburg by 2020.
