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The story behind Winsome's gorgeous Echo Park Lake mural

Written by
Erin Kuschner
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Marc Rose just wanted a painting. Something small that he could hang on the wall of Winsome, the new Echo Park restaurant he opened with Med Abrous (both own the Spare Room as well). An avid history buff, Rose was flipping through old art books at the library one afternoon when his girlfriend came across a 1938 painting of Echo Park Lake. Winsome hadn't opened yet, and Rose still needed the finishing touches. This painting, it seemed, was perfect.

The artist's name was Phil Dike; the painting is called Sunshine in Echo Park. It depicts towering palm trees interspersed with families having picnics by the lake, couples snoozing, parents pushing strollers and solitary Eastsiders going for a walk. Out on the lake, people row small canoes and push toy sailboats across the water. Dike worked for Walt Disney Studios in the mid-1930s, lending his talent to films like Fantasia and Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, and Sunshine in Echo Park is a similarly whimsical piece of art.  

The more Rose sat with the painting, the more he wanted to cover Winsome's walls with its idyllic scene. But in order to turn the print into wallpaper, he first had to find a high-resolution image. His search brought him to Laguna Beach, where Woody Dike—Phil's son—owned the original; after hearing about Rose's plans, Woody gave Winsome's owner his blessing and even came to the opening of the restaurant. Now, Rose says, he's a regular.

Winsome isn't open for dinner yet, but you can stop by for breakfast or lunch and snag the back booth for an up-close-and-personal look at Sunshine in Echo Park. Then walk out to Sunset Boulevard, take a right, and go for a stroll until you hit the real Echo Park Lake—life imitating art, just as art imitated life.

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