What is the favorite piece of art i own?

I love to collect things made by local artists, but the most favorite piece i own is a watercolor print of the near west side of Cleveland , featuring the Russian Orthodox church i grew up in. The onion domes rise above the house roofs, as a reminder that faith was always critical to living in immigrant enclaves like that of the Tremont neighborhood. Watercolor is soft yet the architectural lines are defined carefully, with no doubt this was a vintage view.

The artist is Cleveland Art Royalty – Viktor Schrekengost. He was an artist, industrial designer, and instructor at Cleveland Institute of Art . Watercolor was one of his many expressions of art. I love the clean lines, the architect’s perspective of a snow covered Tremont of yesterday.

This is the present day view of the church. The large red brick building behind it (to the right) was torn down in the 1970s. The neighborhood has changed a lot.

The cooler thing was that the print was purchased directly from the artist when he visited the church. My mom fell in love with it and bought a copy. After her passing a dear friend that was doing framing put this print into a good framing arrangement and we love and cherish it.