"Spirit of Ecstasy California" is original art by Elaine Lazarus

Gouache painting and digital photography on watercolor paper, 13"x19"

Matted and framed size is 18"x24"

This colorful multi-media collage, combines illustration, photography, and gouche painting on watercolor paper. The art tells the story behind the design of the the Spirit of Ecstasy, the Rolls-Royce hood ornament. In 1909, the editor of Car Illustrated Magazine commissioned the design of a sculpture to adorn the hood of his 1909 Rolls-Royce. The model he chose was his secret mistress. The sculpture was called the Spirit of Ecstasy and depicted a woman leaning forwards with her arms outstretched behind her with billowing cloth running from her arms to her back, resembling wings. The collage art features a large tree, the beach in Carmel, California, a butterfly, antique Rolls Royces, two breasts painted as headlights on the Rolls Royce grill, and red lips.