Items-Misc – Larry Johnston, Nostalgic Artist

Copyright Larry Johnston, Nostalgic Artist

Piano Through Window

January 25, 2015February 22, 2021 Admin

“Piano Through a Window”

Somewhere in Georgia

While traveling around the country, I was always on the lookout for places and things of nostalgia. One Sunday afternoon, while driving down a 2-lane road in west-central Georgia, between Atlanta and Macon, we passed through a community which may have been too small to call a town, but it was the community of Concord, Georgia. They had a building, with a row of stores on the north side of the road. In the R.F. Strickland Building, was an antique shop, so we stopped, camera in hand. It was obvious they were closed because there were no cars in sight and no people. As I peered in the windows, I saw several old things that would interest me. One was an old carousel horse and another, an upright old piano covered with dust.

I took pictures of both items, but since they were closed, I shot them through the window, hence the painting is called “Piano through a Window”.

Roses and the Old

January 2, 2015February 22, 2021 Admin

Roses and the Old

Pine Mountain, Georgia

At one time is my painting career, I taught a small painting class in Cartersville, Georgia. Some of the students wanted to paint pictures to go with their decor. One of the paintings, that would be suitable for a kitchen was a painting, I called “Roses and the Old”, showing an old coal bucket, a milk can and an broken down fence sitting in a field, with some roses just starting to bloom. This painting was a lot of fun, without my usual detail. The idea came from an old junk shop located in Pine Mountain, Georgia.

Corner Shelf

January 2, 2015February 22, 2021 Admin

“The Corner Shelf”

Pine Mountain, Georgia

There was nobody around as we walked around the outside of the building. As we were behind the home, a car drove up, and it was the owner of the property. As usual, the southern folks were as friendly and hospitable. I told him what our intentions were, that we intended not to buy anything, just shoot pictures of a few of the items he had laying around. He proceeded to give us a tour of the inside, showing us things that he thought we would be interested in.

After shooting the photos, we said our goodbye’s and we were on our way to the next art show. I painted several paintings from that junk shop. I call my set “Items”, which includes, the “Milk Can“, “The Lantern“, “Wickers End” (which is a broken down cane chair on the back porch) and of course this painting called the “Corner Shelf”. Sometimes I add another painting called “”The Broken Swing”.

Many times, I will add something extra in my paintings. “Corner Shelf” is no exception. I put a couple of my artists brushes in the jar near the back of the painting.

While looking for some antique items for subject material for paintings, we stopped at a broken down old farm house along the road, we called the junk shop, because there was not much in the way of valuable antiques there.. The sign painted on old old piece of wood said, “Antiques”. The shop was located along a 2-lane road on central Georgia near the town of Pine Mountain. There was nobody around as we walked around the outside of the building. As we were behind the home, a car drove up, and it was the owner of the property. As usual, the southern folks were as friendly and hospitable. I told him what our intentions were, that we weren’t going to buy anything, just shoot pictures of a few of the items he had laying around. He proceeded to give us a tour of the inside, showing us things that he thought we would be interested in. After shooting the photos, we said our goodbye’s and we were on our way to the next art show. I painted several paintings from that junk shop. I call my set “Items”, which includes, the “Milk Can”, “The Lantern”, “Wickers End” (which is a broken down cane chair on the back porch) and of course this painting called the “Corner Shelf”. Sometimes I add another painting called “”The Broken Swing”. Many times I will add something extra in my paintings. “Corner Shelf” is no exception. I put a couple of my artists brushes in the jar near the back of the painting.

around the sides of the wood.

11″ x 14″………. $148.82

16″ x 20″ ………. $204.72

16″ X 20″ original painting on stretched canvas not available.

Mustard & Ketchup

January 1, 2015February 22, 2021 Admin

The year was 2003 and the Number One Art Festival in the Country was the Coconut Grove Arts Festival in Miami, Florida. I had exhibited there once before. When I was accepted for this show, I was asked if I wanted to demonstrate my work at one of the schools in the Miami area.

Ferris Wheel Toy

January 1, 2015February 22, 2021 Admin

Ferris Wheel Toy

Many of us remember the metal toys where the tabs fit into slots and bent over to hold them together. I was in an old hardware store/soda shop where the owner collected antique toys. He had them all over the walls, on shelves and even in the basement. It was a toy collector’s paradise. I decided to paint some paintings of the toys. The first toy that I chose was a familiar one to many of us, but to stay away from infringement problems, I changed all the characters on the Ferris Wheel to my own design of clowns.

While in Florida, one of my favorite places for painting was, Markham Park, in Weston, Florida. It was a beautiful day, as I pulled out my 30″ x 40″ canvas and started to paint. I set my easel in a shaded area beneath some palm trees. The sounds of the birds chirping made it so relaxing… that I didn’t have a care in the world. As I worked on the painting, it came together beautifully over the next few perfect days. I was almost finished with the painting, when I noticed the birds getting louder, then all of a sudden……”.SPLAT!”, right in the middle of the painting. You guessed it… Doo–Do everywhere! It took me about a month to make adjustments and corrections, but, to this day, if you look closely, (Only on the original painting), you can tell where that bird made his mark.. I’m not sure whether it was the clowns, or the Ferris Wheel he didn’t like.

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