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.
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.
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
Original painting on stretched canvas not available.
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…
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!
Located in the middle of Atlanta, Georgia the FOX Theatre, built and opened in 1929, with vaudeville and later cinema, now features Broadway Shows and Theatrical performances. Since the theatre has become an Icon to Atlanta, I felt it necessary to create a painting of the famous FOX.
The original painting was sold at the Yellow Daisy Festival at Stone Mountain Park, just east of Atlanta. The festival is one of the top-rated festivals in the country. Prints of the painting were popular through the years of exhibiting around the country, especially in Georgia. It was one of the first paintings where I highlighted the painting with rain and water reflections at night.
While watching movies growing up, we see places that are the ideal places to live. Of course, that’s only in the movies. The quaint little towns, with the parks, gazebos and Ferris wheels, rides and such. Well the story of the Tilley Park painting started in 1983, when I was commissioned to paint a painting of a covered bridge in Euharlee, Georgia. In order, to get to the covered bridge, we had to drive through Cartersville, Georgia.
It was a small town and had a railroad depot in the middle, with the Court house on the hill and the stores were situated in a U shape, facing the depot. We passed the square and started up the hill and there it was…Tilley Park.!
We eventually moved there and found out the history of the park. Mr. Tilley owned all the rides and organizations rented the park for fundraisers and such. Little did I know, when I took photos of the park, they had planned on removing the rides the following day. I eventually painted two paintings from the park. The Tilley Family bought several of the paintings.
I painted several Cartersville places, and some really close by, here are the links…
In 1927, Edward L. Williams Senior, built a General Mercantile Store in Juliette, GA. Mrs. Williams, known as “Miss Lillian” and her 5 boys and one girl helped run the store for 45 years, until it closed in 1972. The Building was then rented to a Timber Consultant, then a Real Estate Office and finally an Antique Shop.
In 1991, The building was used in the filming of the movie, “Fried Green Tomatoes”. After the completion of the film, Robert Williams joined Jerie Lynn Williams in turning the building into the “Whistle Stop Cafe’ that everyone recognized in the movie. The movie and the cafe’ brought life to the town, as movie buffs and tourists stopped by to have some fried green tomatoes.
The news traveled all over the State of Georgia about its local town, Juliette, just east of Forsyth in middle Georgia. The painting of the window was one of five that were done from buildings used in the movie. The others were the Whistle Stop Cafe, Whistle Stop Depot, Starr’s Mill and a Home in Senoia that sat across from a railroad track. The Whistle Stop Cafe’ painting was purchased by Jerie Williams, as it appeared in the movie and then commissioned another painting, as the cafe’ looked after the movie, without the gas pumps. One of the paintings hangs in the cafe’.
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)
11″ x 14″Black Edge………. $148.82
11″ x 14″ White Edge………. $148.82
11″ x 14″ Wrapped Edge………. $148.82
16″ x 20″ Black Edge ………. $204.72
16″ x 20″ White Edge………. $204.72
16″ x 20″ Wrapped Edge………. $204.72
16″ x 20″ ………. $375.00 original painting on stretched canvas not available.
In a previous painting, I highlighted the painting Brown Barn with Texaco Pump . The painting was purchased by a young couple who asked if I could put their newly restored truck in the painting. They ended up deciding they liked the painting as it was, but wanted me to paint something to compliment the painting and also include their truck. As you can see by the 2 paintings below, I used the same background as a continuation of the first painting. They were delighted!
This is the fourth in my series of painting of buildings that were used in the movie “Fried Green Tomatoes”. Juliette, Georgia was used for much of the filming. Both, Church and cemetery, which was next to the church were used. The cemetery is where there was a jar of honey placed by a head stone near the end of the movie.
Juliette, is located 8 miles east of Forsyth, Georgia, which is along I-75. We enjoy that 8 mile detour, to stop in Juliette, and grab a bite to eat, along with Fried green tomatoes. They have several shops and stores to wander through on our visits. If you want to see the church, you would have to go through the one block town and up the hill to the right about a quarter of a mile. The church is on the left.
