So I heard some rumors at my barber shop that the old Soup Daddy in Pioneer Courthouse Square was going to be replaced by a Hooters near where this gallery is. Thank the freakin’ high heavens that hasn’t happened yet!!! But, the neighborhood has been blessed with a nice new gallery called The Obervatory. They told me that this was the third First Thursday opening there, and it was very nice. The shows that really jumped out at me the most were Greg Boudreau’s series of spray paints and stencils on salvaged wood and Don Farrell’s acrylic on wood. Boudreau created some nice paintings with vibrant colors and one of the coolest things is the medium… the wood has borderline breaks and splinters that add a nice texture to the pieces. They are affordable too… Farrell has more expensive works, but, the themes are really amazing, reflecting on nature and Mayan spirituality and ruins. One piece had a tree with an elaborate set of roots that reminded me of the trees of the rainforest of El Tikal, Guatamala. Impressive stuff. Sweet new gallery!