Manayunk Canal

Manayunk Canal  16" x 20"  oil on panel

 Just finished this painting of the Manayunk Canal working from a reference photo I took years ago when I lived in West Chester.  I found the historic bridge (a Manayunk icon) and the long perspective of the canal with its tow path a great combination that represents the spirit of the place.

Manayunk is a neighborhood in the northwestern section of the city of Philadelphia.  Located on the Schuylkill River, it contains the first canal constructed in the United States.  In the early 1800’s, the Manayunk Canal was home to Philadelphia’s newly mechanized textile and paper mill industries.  Beginning in the 1990s, Manayunk experienced a revitalization with the opening of several new upscale restaurants, boutiques and pubs on Main Street as well as the conversion of former mills into loft apartments.