Historic Don Quixote Weathervane, San Clemente

This is the historic weathervane atop the community center in San Clemente, CA. It shows Don Quixote charging right to tilt at the windmill, followed by Sancho Panza on his donkey. I also did a small pen and ink of the monument from the opposite side, with Don Quixote charging left.

The community center used to be known as the Social Club and dates to 1927. It was one of the first structures to be built when San Clemente was founded by developer Ole Hanson as the "Spanish Village by the Sea". The building was ravaged by fire in 1970 but after restoration its original weathervane was salvaged and restored to the roof of the remodeled structure.  Now discolored and mottled, it bears the scars of its century-long life.

I learned the weathervane's story reading Jennifer Garey's Images of America: San Clemente.  I am a member of the San Clemente Art Association, whose gallery is housed in the community center. While I had been a regular visitor for about nine years I never realized that Don Quixote was up there on the roof, tilting at his windmill.

I decided he deserved some recognition, hence the drawing and the painting. This painting is framed to 20" x 16".