While exhibiting in Georgia, at one of the Arts Festivals, I had a print of a painting that I had previously sold. A customer liked it so much that they wanted a painting of it. Since I don’t paint identical paintings, except when someone wants several of them for gifts, such as a family home, in which I have painted as many as four. They went to all four siblings of a family.
We agreed to paint the FOX Theatre, but with a different view and a special car. The First Fox painting was “Singin’ in the Rain”. The second painting featured “The King and I”.
When I first moved to Georgia, I was asked to paint this covered bridge by a man that owned property next to it. I sold the original to him. I later painted the bridge for competition at a local art show and sold it to a local Bank. I sold photo prints and limited edition prints of it at art shows and festivals for many years.
I had a lady commission me to paint another view of the locally famous bridge. Since the first painting was a side view, with fall colors, she asked me to put some pink and blue in the picture to match the decor in her house. The final painting had more of a Spring look to it. It too became a popular painting in the area. Here is the painting of the Autumn view.
Below are photo print sets that I sold at many of the art festivals, when allowed.
Copyright Larry Johnston
Copyright Larry Johnston
Copyright Larry Johnston
Copyright Larry Johnston
Links to other covered bridge paintings I have done can be found here:
While living in Cartersville, GA, I exhibited at the Roselawn Art festival, which was held on the property of the home called, “Roselawn”. It was the home of Samuel Porter Jones, (1847 – 1906), who was a Methodist Evangelist, during the turn of the century.
The home was originally a one-story building, which was raised. They added a third floor and a basement, which is what you see today. In 1973, the home was placed on the National Register of Historic Places and was the home to the local Historical Society. It is located at 244 W. Cherokee Avenue, Cartersville, Georgia 30120.
During my second year at the Festival, I had finished the painting the night before, which would have been in 1984.
Copyright Larry JohnstonCopyright Larry Johnston
I painted several Cartersville places, and some really close by, here are the links…
As an artist, I am always looking at things differently than most. I have painted several nostalgic businesses around the country. This painting is a combination of two photos. The building, Dog ‘n Mug, once a well-known Root Beer car hop drive-in, closed and eventually became Dog ‘n Mug. It was in operation for a few years, was sold and is no longer an eating establishment.
This painting was commissioned by the owners when they first opened and requested some changes to the painting, which included put their his and hers cars in the painting.
Prints:
ALL PRINTS are printed on canvas and stretched on wooden stretcher bars and prices vary according to size ordered. Most are 2:3 proportion
Options:
wrapped print- part of the image is wrapped
around the sides of the wood.
Non-wrapped print- The full image is on the face, with white or black edges
(frames and hardware are not included)
8″ x 12″ Black Edge………. $109.17
8″ x 12″ White Edge………. $109.17
8″ x 12″ Wrapped Edge………. $109.17
12” x 18” Black Edge ………. $168.07
12” x 18” White Edge ………. $168.07
12” x 18” Wrapped Edge ………. $168.07
16” x 24” Black Edge ………. $226.14 (Most popular)
16” x 24” White Edge ………. $226.14 (Most popular)
16” x 24” Wrapped Edge ………. $226.14 (Most popular)
20” x 30” Black Edge………. $314.34
20” x 30” White Edge………. $314.34
20” x 30” Wrapped Edge………. $314.34
24” x 36”Black Edge ………. $335.65
24” x 36”White Edge ………. $335.65
24” x 36”Wrapped Edge ………. $335.65
24″ X 36″ original painting on canvas not available.
Bob Jo’s Frozen ice cream shop was established in 1947 and has been going strong ever since. The have all the favorite frozen desserts, including Yogurt and Frozen Custard. To keep the customers flocking in, they change their flavors of yogurt and custard once a week. We had to stop several times while in the area at 4071 Fort St., Wyandotte, MI.
I returned the following year to the Wyandotte Art Festival with prints and found that Bob Jo’s was a collectable item to the locals.
During my years on the road exhibiting at Art Shows and Festivals, Crown Point, Indiana was a regular on my tour, as it was held on the Court House lawn in the center of town.
The library, built in 1908 was located at 223 S. Main Street, just one block from the center of the town, from the Court house. With the expansion of the library, it now extends all the way to Court Street. The original part of the building is now being used as office space for the Crown Point Community Library.
While exhibiting at a number of art festivals on the Court house lawn in Crown Point, Indiana, I found that one of the local landmarks, was the old jail across the street. I eventually created a painting of the jail, one of four from Crown Point.
John Dillinger, during a bank robbery in Chicago shot and killed a police officer and was captured in Tucson, Arizona and taken to the Lake County Jail, in Crown Point, Indiana. Early morning, on March 3, 1934, Dillinger had carved a gun either from a bar of soap, or a wooden washboard, (Local legend varies), covering it with black shoe polish. Using it in his escape, an automatic gun was taken from a jail guard, as he made his escape.
On July 23, 1934, Dillinger was shot and killed by the FBI outside the Biograph Theater, in Chicago.
Among many of the art shows and festival I attended since 1978, one of many local shows took place on the lawn of the Lake County Courthouse in Crown Point, Indiana. Since I attended the show for several years, I painted several local places. Of course, the first painting had to be the Courthouse.
The Courthouse was unique, with 3 towers, the middle being the clock tower. Built in 1878, it was referred to as “The Grand Old Lady”. It was a combination of Romanesque and Georgian architectural styles.
Now, retired from County Government, the building now houses the Historical Museum along with shops that attract tourists, shoppers and other visitors.
During my travels, looking for good nostalgic material, I would make an effort to drive down some of the back roads. As I was driving down Mars Hill Road, near Acworth, where I was going to exhibit in an Arts & Crafts festival in the near future, I came across this old barn. It was directly across the gravel road from a beautiful home that had been there for years, but kept up well in appearance.
When I see things like the barn, I let my imagination wander, so here’s where it lead me: The husband or father smoked, but was not allowed to smoke in the house, so he had to go outside. Across the street he would go and would soon be surrounded with all his friends, as they laugh and tell stories and all their tall tales that keep the conversations lively.
After finishing the painting, I was exhibiting at the Acworth Beach Festival and the owners of the home and barn showed up and revealed the truth. The man was a prominent person and a member of the local fire department. The barn was used mostly for storage, but I liked my story better.
The painting was Evelyn’s favorite painting, but was eventually sold. Oops!
The familiar style Silver Diner, at 7501 Gulf Blvd, in St. Pete Beach, Florida opened in 1951 and became an icon of American History for decades. In the 1990’s, I participated in several street festivals, located within a block of the diner. Everyone that ate at the diner seemed to know each other, because of the morning rituals of breakfast or lunch. I took many pictures of the diner after the show closed and returned the next year with the painting and prints, which were a popular item for the locals.
The Pelican Diner closed in 2001. I had heard that the owners ran the diner for all those years and were unable to continue. The Diner was sold in 2003, with the intentions of moving it to another location and reopening. The last information I have, is the diner is sitting in storage somewhere, but that corner on Gulf Blvd, no longer has the familiar aroma in the morning of bacon and sausage.
