Admin – Page 17 – Larry Johnston, Nostalgic Artist

Gone Fishing Puzzle

December 31, 2014February 22, 2021 Admin

Gone Fishin’ Puzzle

“Gone Fishin’ Puzzle”, is a unique Painting, where I made one painting from another and then sold prints of both. The Tackle Box was mine, which I painted on stretched canvas and took photos of it when it was finished. I was then able to make prints from them.

Later, I took the same painting and painted it to look like a puzzle, removing part of the painting by painting over it to remove the pieces, repainting them individually elsewhere on the canvas. When I finished the makeover, I took photos of it and made prints from the puzzle looking painting. Original Gone Fishing Painting.

Eventually, I sold the painting of the “Gone Fishin’ puzzle”. I was surprised to find that some of the judges were not impressed, because they thought I had glued a puzzle on a canvas, or framed a puzzle and put a price on it.

Here the links to the other lures I have painted: Paw Paw Lippy Joe, Carter’s Best Ever, Flat Fish Frog and Pikie Minnow.

Here are links to salmon flies I have painted: Blue Doctor, black and white hook, black hook and small fly.

Related to fishing, here are three other paintings you may be interested in.

Midway Bait & Tackle

Gone Fishing

Gone Fishing Puzzle

around the sides of the wood.

12″ x 16″Black Edge………. $163.14

Error! Special characters like [, ], <, > are not supported in the product name.

12″ x 16″ White Edge………. $163.14

Error! Special characters like [, ], <, > are not supported in the product name.

12″ x 16″ Wrapped Edge………. $163.14

Error! Special characters like [, ], <, > are not supported in the product name.

18″ x 24″Black Edge………. $237.96

Error! Special characters like [, ], <, > are not supported in the product name.

18″ x 24″ White Edge………. $237.96

Error! Special characters like [, ], <, > are not supported in the product name.

18″ x 24″ Wrapped Edge………. $237.96

Error! Special characters like [, ], <, > are not supported in the product name.

18″ X 24″ original painting on stretched canvas not available.

Gone Fishing

December 31, 2014February 22, 2021 Admin

Gone Fishing

“Gone Fishing”, is a unique Painting, where I made one painting from another and then sold prints of both. The Tackle Box was mine, which I painted on stretched canvas and took photos of it when it was finished. I was then able to make prints from them.

Eventually, I sold the painting of the “Gone Fishin’ puzzle”. I was surprised to find that some of the judges were not impressed, because they thought I had glued a puzzle on a canvas, or framed a puzzle and put a price on it.

Here the links to the other lures I have painted: Paw Paw Lippy Joe, Carter’s Best Ever, Flat Fish Frog and Pikie Minnow.

Here are links to salmon flies I have painted: Blue Doctor, black and white hook, black hook and small fly.

Related to fishing, here are three other paintings you may be interested in.

Midway Bait & Tackle

Gone Fishing

Gone Fishing Puzzle

around the sides of the wood.

12″ x 16″Black Edge………. $163.14

Error! Special characters like [, ], <, > are not supported in the product name.

12″ x 16″ White Edge………. $163.14

Error! Special characters like [, ], <, > are not supported in the product name.

12″ x 16″ Wrapped Edge………. $163.14

Error! Special characters like [, ], <, > are not supported in the product name.

18″ x 24″Black Edge………. $237.96

Error! Special characters like [, ], <, > are not supported in the product name.

18″ x 24″ White Edge………. $237.96

Error! Special characters like [, ], <, > are not supported in the product name.

18″ x 24″ Wrapped Edge………. $237.96

Error! Special characters like [, ], <, > are not supported in the product name.

18″ X 24″ original painting on stretched canvas not available.

Fire Truck

December 31, 2014February 22, 2021 Admin

“The Fire Truck”

Ripley, West Virginia

While traveling around the country exhibiting at hundreds of Art shows and festivals, One of the best in the Country was the Mountain State Arts & Crafts Festival, in Ripley, West Virginia. It was rated #1 in the Country by Sunshine Artist Magazine a number of years ago.

As I returned to this show in July of each year with new paintings, I kept seeing this old fire truck just sitting out in a field. You might say that it’s days of fighting fires were over and it was put out to pasture. (Pun intended). Eventually, I stopped and took pictures of the truck and painted the acrylic painting on canvas.

Every year since, I sold quite a few prints, especially to the local residents. I was told by the property owners, that the fire truck had been used in parades since its retirement. That’s where the Stroh’s sign on the truck came from. It was put on after retirement.

Other Fire Department related paintings include: Fire Dog; Fire Station #2 Hose Reel; Miami Fire Station #6 and Cassopolis Fire Station.

Judge Roy Bean

December 31, 2014February 22, 2021 Admin

Judge Roy Bean

Daphne, Alabama

All my paintings, many nostalgic, have some-kind of story, or history behind them. One of many, is my painting “Judge Roy Bean”, which is a building I found, while at the Art Festival in Fairhope, Alabama.

The building, a tavern, restaurant, like none other, was located a couple of miles north in Daphne, Alabama. While at Art shows and Festivals, I would ask locals, what they had in the area that was nostalgic. I received all kinds of answers. After writing them all down, I took a tour of the area before leaving, taking photos of the places on my list. The next year, I would return with a painting from their local town, one they can identify with, so they can buy prints of the painting, or even the original painting.

Judge Roy Bean, was a famous Judge, which they named the place after. As you can see, the outside does not have much curb appeal. There were beer bottles on the bench outside, and the place looked abandoned….. I was wrong!

Inside was a bar, with a small stage and quaint places to sit. Then, you stepped down, out another door that lead into a fenced area with gazebos, volleyball courts, and yes, even a place to have concerts. I have been told that Jimmy Buffet and Alabama played there at least once. It was not unusual to see BMW’s, Cadillacs and even Limousines parked outside, when they were open. Since then, the building burned down and as far as I know, it was never rebuilt.

Lost Mountain Store

December 31, 2014February 22, 2021 Admin

Buckeye Store

December 31, 2014February 22, 2021 Admin

Buckeye Confectionery

Phoenix, Arizona

Ohio is known as the Buckeye State, as most of us know. While exhibiting at an art show in Wyandotte, Michigan, not too far from the Ohio – Michigan state line, the show draws people from Ohio and Indiana, as well as Michigan.

A couple from Ohio saw my display and was interested in having a painting done from an old black and white photograph of their great grandfather’s store, that he opened after leaving Ohio many years ago. The store was located in Phoenix, Arizona at 2120 Buckeye Road. I have no idea where the connection is, as far as the town of Buckeye and their great grandfather. At the time I wasn’t familiar with the town of Buckeye, but thought it was interesting, that the street had the same name as the store, (almost).

It’s exciting to meet people and their history and then to become part of it, to be passed down through their future family.

Sinclair Gas Pump

December 31, 2014February 22, 2021 Admin

Sinclair Gas Pump

North Georgia

After painting a few different gas pump paintings, I started getting requests for different brands. One of those brands was Sinclair, as many people worked for Sinclair during their youth, pumping gas, some being their first job. I sold 5 x 7 prints of my paintings, so there were many gas pumps that were just the right size.

The painting was a typical setting for the era of that style pump. The surroundings I chose, was in north Georgia at a typical general store. After painting four or more different pumps, I started selling a four-print set of gas pumps. Other paintings of gas pumps I have painted are: Shell, Texaco, Mobile, Marathon and Gulf.

Rosie’s Diner 1

December 31, 2014February 22, 2021 Admin

“Rosie’s Diner”

Rockford, Michigan

Most everyone has seen photos of Rosie’s Diner, some with miniature lights for tail lights and in strategic areas of the photo that you could hang in your recreation room, or maybe the kitchen. The painting above, is also of Rosie’s Diner. Let me tell you the story of how this painting started.

While participating in the #1 Art Show, at the time, in the country, which was Coconut Grove, Florida, I met a ceramic artist who made miniature diners that had neon on them. It was great work. The artist, Jerry Berta, told me a story that fascinated me. I had seen those photos in stores and restaurants, I mentioned above.

Jerry had a REAL diner, that he used as a studio to make his miniature diners. People would show up at his door, wanting to buy diner food, and he had to explain to them, it was only his studio. Then he had the opportunity to purchase a diner in Little Ferry, New Jersey. They were going to get rid of the diner to make room for what they called “Progress” and offered Jerry a deal, he couldn’t refuse.

The Silver Dollar Diner, was the name of the Diner, where the well-known commercial with Rosie, the waitress, advertised paper towels. Jerry accepted the deal and moved it to Michigan. He said he only had 10 flat tires during the move. When he arrived in Rockford, he renamed the Diner, ‘Rosie’s. It was located in the same parking lot as his other diner and sold regular Diner Food.

On various nights of the month, he would turn on the neon lights and allow people to photograph their classic cars in the watered-down parking lot, which shows the reflections of the neon.

While in Greenville, Michigan at an Art Festival, I took time to stop there and photograph the diner. The painting above is from the photos I took that day.

Other Silver Diner Paintings I have done are:

Pelican Diner, St. Pete Beach; Inside the Silver Diner, Red trim; Inside the Silver Diner, pink

around the sides of the wood.

24” x 36” ………. Original Painting on stretched canvas not available

Waffle House

December 31, 2014February 22, 2021 Admin

WAFFLE HOUSE®

Down South Everywhere.

Believe it or not, while on the road during my Art Show career, Waffle House® became a regular stop in our lives. They have been serving breakfast, lunch and dinner since 1955, 24 hours a day 365 days a year.

They have, including franchises, 1,500 stores. Every year, as we headed south we started seeing them just south of Indianapolis, all the way to the Gulf coast. Waffle house became our favorite breakfast place.

They have their own dialog. I ordered Cheese and eggs, scattered smothered and covered, but not chunked, (That meant the hash browns were scattered, not in a patty, covered meant it had cheese on it and if you wanted chunked, it came with ham.)

They claim they are the world’s leader in service Waffles, Omelettes and T-bone steaks. We also had their great cheeseburgers, not to mention coffee for breakfast.

Because of their hours, many truck drivers and travelers stopped there. We celebrated Christmas at Waffle House® for quite a few years, because nobody else was open for dinner on Christmas day.

I painted the painting, which depicted the late hours, with the cars and trucks sitting outside. The black Ford Mustang in the painting was the car that the man owned, who bought the painting. It was sold, before I had even finished the painting at the Yellow Daisy Festival, in Stone Mountain, Georgia. I try to paint at the shows when it’s not too busy.

around the sides of the wood.

Fort George Drive-in Theatre

December 31, 2014February 22, 2021 Admin

Ft. George Drive-in Theatre

Southgate, Michigan

During the outdoor drive in era, the Ft George Drive-in was built in 1950. It was located at 16300 Fort Street, in Southgate, Michigan. The theatre had one screen and could hold 1200 cars, which later, after remodeling, was able to service 1300.

During a storm in 1990, the screen was damaged by the high winds. It was eventually torn down in 1991.

While touring with my paintings, I had done several theatres, when I was told about the Ft George theatre at the Wyandotte Art Fair, just north of Southgate, where the drive-in theatre used to be. After some research, I found a black and white sketch of the theatre. I believe it was on a matchbook cover.

I painted the 24 x 36 painting before the show, the following year. I made prints of the painting and it became a popular item in the area. It’s amazing how many people remember that theatre along with some of the stories that followed.

Other outdoor Theatres I have painted are: 28^th St. Drive-in, St. Petersburg, FL: Tri-way Theatre, Plymouth, IN

around the sides of the wood.

24” x 36” ………. $1,295.00 Original Painting

Error! Special characters like [, ], <, > are not supported in the product name.