“Look.”
Chapter 19
“Gorgeous sunset,” Alex remarked.
“Phooey, that’s not what I mean.” I reached into my tote bag and pulled out the photo I had printed up of the painting from Audrey’s house. I held it up. “Alex, the horizon is the same, look at the ocean and the coastline, it is all the same as the painting.”
Alex took the photo from me and studied it. “Amazing, it is almost the exact point of view.” He turned around to look up at the Van Wyck home and turned back to me. “Shannon, it’s as if the painting was created from a point of view of the artist standing up there on the verandah of the Van Wyck home. That little bit of an increase in elevation is perfect. You know, when we were in the library, Otis mentioned the wonderful view of the ocean that they have from that window, I turned to admire it and at that moment I had the feeling I had seen it before. But of course I dismissed the thought because I did not recall ever being in their library and I had not given a second thought to the verandah on that side of the house. I’m sure of it now. I have seen this view before. Looking at this photo and their painting, the views are exact.”
“I’m going to snap some photos of this sunset view with the coastline and when we get home, I’ll bring them up on my computer. I can use a photo-editing program to overlay one photo onto the other photo. Oh, and how weird is that the painting in the Van Wyck home is exactly like the painting that Audrey has, except that the positions of the two woman are reversed, they are sitting in opposite chairs?”
“They are? I didn’t notice. Are you sure?” asked Alex.
“Yeah, I am. I’ll prove it when I get the photos on my computer. Makes me wonder if there might be additional details that are different. I wonder why the artist reversed the two women?”
“It might be a major clue, or it could be that the artist was merely experimenting with different angles of color, light and such. Since one of the women has brilliant red hair, maybe the artist wanted that pop of color placed strategically in the painting. I didn’t mention to Otis that we know about another painting that is like his. And although I was surprised when I saw the painting, I’m pretty sure Otis credited my surprise to my interest in the view from the window.”
We resumed our walking and within a few minutes entered through the back garden gate. Alex took the leash off Atlas and told him to take care of business. The big dog moseyed over to various grassy areas, shopping for the right one. I laughed at this pee-on-command behavior. “You have him trained well,” I said to Alex.
“Atlas was easy to train. Most Irish Wolfhounds are, as long as the owner is not heavy-handed.”
“What do you mean by that?” I asked.
“I used a method developed and taught by the Monks of New Skete. They are Byzantine-Rite Franciscan monks of the Eastern Orthodox Church, located in New England. Since 1966 they have been well known for their dog training methods that employ praise training with an intrinsic appreciation for a dog’s innate motives. It’s a more natural way to develop an appreciation for the dog and human bond.”
“Sounds very dog-whisperer like,” I said.
“Yes and no. The New Skete monks have been doing this long before the phrase dog whisperer came into use. Anyway, it works with me and with Atlas. In a way, we trained each other. Speaking of that, it is time for his dinner, and ours, too. Aren’t you hungry, Shannon?”
“Now that you mention it, yes. My ribs are rattling my backbone in protest. We could stay in and I’ll cook.”
“Or we could try The Prado restaurant at Balboa Park, it’s a short walk from the Museum of Art. The restaurant offers an extensive menu, and they decorate the walls with local art, on a rotating basis. That is, if you do not mind the fact that I called in a reservation earlier today.” Alex smiled
I countered with,
Chapter 19
“Gorgeous sunset,” Alex remarked.
“Phooey, that’s not what I mean.” I reached into my tote bag and pulled out the photo I had printed up of the painting from Audrey’s house. I held it up. “Alex, the horizon is the same, look at the ocean and the coastline, it is all the same as the painting.”
Alex took the photo from me and studied it. “Amazing, it is almost the exact point of view.” He turned around to look up at the Van Wyck home and turned back to me. “Shannon, it’s as if the painting was created from a point of view of the artist standing up there on the verandah of the Van Wyck home. That little bit of an increase in elevation is perfect. You know, when we were in the library, Otis mentioned the wonderful view of the ocean that they have from that window, I turned to admire it and at that moment I had the feeling I had seen it before. But of course I dismissed the thought because I did not recall ever being in their library and I had not given a second thought to the verandah on that side of the house. I’m sure of it now. I have seen this view before. Looking at this photo and their painting, the views are exact.”
“I’m going to snap some photos of this sunset view with the coastline and when we get home, I’ll bring them up on my computer. I can use a photo-editing program to overlay one photo onto the other photo. Oh, and how weird is that the painting in the Van Wyck home is exactly like the painting that Audrey has, except that the positions of the two woman are reversed, they are sitting in opposite chairs?”
“They are? I didn’t notice. Are you sure?” asked Alex.
“Yeah, I am. I’ll prove it when I get the photos on my computer. Makes me wonder if there might be additional details that are different. I wonder why the artist reversed the two women?”
“It might be a major clue, or it could be that the artist was merely experimenting with different angles of color, light and such. Since one of the women has brilliant red hair, maybe the artist wanted that pop of color placed strategically in the painting. I didn’t mention to Otis that we know about another painting that is like his. And although I was surprised when I saw the painting, I’m pretty sure Otis credited my surprise to my interest in the view from the window.”
We resumed our walking and within a few minutes entered through the back garden gate. Alex took the leash off Atlas and told him to take care of business. The big dog moseyed over to various grassy areas, shopping for the right one. I laughed at this pee-on-command behavior. “You have him trained well,” I said to Alex.
“Atlas was easy to train. Most Irish Wolfhounds are, as long as the owner is not heavy-handed.”
“What do you mean by that?” I asked.
“I used a method developed and taught by the Monks of New Skete. They are Byzantine-Rite Franciscan monks of the Eastern Orthodox Church, located in New England. Since 1966 they have been well known for their dog training methods that employ praise training with an intrinsic appreciation for a dog’s innate motives. It’s a more natural way to develop an appreciation for the dog and human bond.”
“Sounds very dog-whisperer like,” I said.
“Yes and no. The New Skete monks have been doing this long before the phrase dog whisperer came into use. Anyway, it works with me and with Atlas. In a way, we trained each other. Speaking of that, it is time for his dinner, and ours, too. Aren’t you hungry, Shannon?”
“Now that you mention it, yes. My ribs are rattling my backbone in protest. We could stay in and I’ll cook.”
“Or we could try The Prado restaurant at Balboa Park, it’s a short walk from the Museum of Art. The restaurant offers an extensive menu, and they decorate the walls with local art, on a rotating basis. That is, if you do not mind the fact that I called in a reservation earlier today.” Alex smiled
I countered with,
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