Admin – Page 19 – Larry Johnston, Nostalgic Artist

Milk Silo

December 30, 2014February 22, 2021 Admin

The Milk Silo

Woodland, IN

It was just a grain silo. We called it the “Milk Silo” because of the advertisement painted on the side.

Just south of Mishawaka, Indiana on Hwy 131, north of Bremen, there are 2 small towns. Wyatt, is about one block long with no traffic lights, but they do have a Post office. Just north of that, is the town of Woodland, with a store that has been empty for years. The only way you know it’s a town, is because of small sign that says “Wooland”.

Woodland is significant to me, because of the cement grain silo that sat in the yard of an old farm house

When first starting out exhibiting in Art Festivals, I stayed close to home, which at the time was South Bend, Indiana, next door to Mishawaka. After I took pictures of the silo, it was just a few months, when they removed it. Since I had already taken pictures of it, I decided to put it on canvas.

It didn’t take long before the painting sold, and many prints after that. Even members of the family, who owned the property, bought prints of the milk silo. Another instant nostalgic memory that I was able to capture just in time!

Miami Fire Station 6

December 30, 2014February 22, 2021 Admin

Fire Station #6

Miami, Florida

There was a time in my Art Festival Travels when I exhibited in many of the top shows in the country. During that time, the #1 show was Coconut Grove Arts Festival, in Florida. During that show, I sold a painting of the Fire Truck in a field, in Ripley, WV to the Fire Chief of the Miami Fire Dept. Later he contacted me to paint a painting for him of the Miami Fire Dept. as it used to look. He had a black and white photo of the station, taken years prior to then.

I painted several commission paintings in my career. This was just one of them. Another painting I sold at that show in 2003, was of the Key Biscayne Light house, which was purchased by a well-known member of the Versace family, a known name in the area and the Fashion Industry.

South Shore Line

December 30, 2014February 22, 2021 Admin

The South Shore,

South Bend, Indiana.

Since I lived in South Bend, Indiana, I exhibited in shows in the area and wanted to capture some of the history of South Bend. The South Shore Line was popular in earlier years, which ran from South Bend to Chicago. The South Bend station was located downtown across from the LaSalle Hotel. The South Shore still runs from South Bend to Chicago and stops between, but the station was moved to the airport on the west side of South Bend. I wanted to focus the painting on the end of the line, where the passengers exit the train at the South Shore Station. To capture the reflections of the lights, I painted the scene as if it was a light rain, creating the wet pavement I even put a Studebaker in the background, since Studebaker was the main industry in South Bend at the time. I hope you enjoyed your trip back in time.

around the sides of the wood.

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

Jimmy’s Hurricane

December 30, 2014February 22, 2021 Admin

Jimmy’s Hurricane

Miami, Florida

Jimmy Ellenburg, was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame in 2000 as an outstanding quarterback and halfback at Miami High School. In the three years that he played, he had two State Championships and graduated in 1935. Years later, Jimmy opened up the restaurant in Miami, Florida. He and his wife operated the restaurant from 1950 to 1966. Since I painted nostalgic places, I was told about a restaurant that was famous in the area, so I started doing some research. The restaurant no longer exists and Jimmy has since passed away, but the memory of his accomplishments and his famous restaurant remains.

around the sides of the wood.

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

Oak Hill Apple Orchard Roadside Stand

December 30, 2014February 22, 2021 Admin

Oak Hill Orchards Roadside Stand

Ellijay, Georgia

During the mid1980s, while driving in the north Georgia mountains, looking for subject matter for future paintings, I found a roadside stand specializing in Apples, which the area was famous for in north Georgia. I painted the painting a short time later, in 1986.

It was on Highway 52, near Ellijay, Georgia, called Oak Hill Orchards. the painting was a 9 x 12 acrylic painting canvas.

Hope Train Depot

December 30, 2014February 22, 2021 Admin

Hope Train Depot

Hope, Arkansas

It was in 1994, Bill Clinton was our Nation’s President. We were in Arkansas, so we took a side trip to the town of Hope, Arkansas, which was the birthplace of the 42nd President. There was a festival that was very popular to the area, where we could sell my paintings and prints. It was the “Hope Watermelon Festival”.

As we drove around the town, I took pictures of his boyhood home, the school he attended and of course, the train depot. Train Depots are always popular prints. I decided to paint the depot and have it available for the festival several months later. As I remember, it took place on July 4th. Even Good Morning America was televised from there.

The temperature was 105 degrees and they had semi loads of nice cold watermelon, cut longways into quarters and sold for 25 cents. I think it was the best watermelon I have ever tasted. I must have had a couple of dollars-worth.

The depot has become one of the items in my Depot print set, which features four of my paintings. Other train depots I have painted are: Cartersville, GA Depot, Germantown, OH Depot, Elkhart, IN Depot and the famous Whistle Stop Depot, Juliette, GA.

28th Street Drive-In Theatre

December 30, 2014February 22, 2021 Admin

28th Street Drive-in Theatre

St. Petersburg, FL.

For those of us that remember the teenage years with outdoor drive-in theatres, we have heard many stories about what happened at those theaters. The painting depicted here, in St. Pete, Florida, shows how some of us saved a few bucks, by hiding in the trunk of the car, until after we were inside the theatre. I’m sure you never did that!

Those were just rumors, right? They eventually got smart and just charged by the carload, instead of per person. There are less than 500 outdoor theatres left in the country. Most have been converted to shopping centers and housing communities.

Other outdoor theatre paintings I have done are: Tri-way Outdoor Theatre, Plymouth, IN; Ft. George Drive-in Theatre, Southgate, MI

Other St Pete places I have painted are:

Biff Burger

28th Street Drive in Theatre

Ted Peters Smoked Fish

Pelican Diner