October 2020 – Page 9 – Larry Johnston, Nostalgic Artist

Billy Goat Tavern

October 16, 2020February 22, 2021 Admin

Billy Goat Tavern,

Chicago, IL.

I have participated in a number of Art Festivals in the Chicago area over the years, including Wells Street’s, Old Town Art Festival. Some of the painting I have done for the area, were: The Chicago Theatre; Superdawg; Wrigley Field; Hot Diggity Dog, but one of my favorites is The Billy Goat Tavern.

The Billy Goat Tavern was established in 1934 and was located across from the Chicago Stadium. . The goat wandered into his establishment. In 1964, Billy Goat moved his business to its present location.

The Curse of the Cubs – The Chicago White Stockings, became the Cubs in 1903. From 1876 to 1945, they had one of the best teams in the Country. On October 6, 1945 the Chicago Cubs entered game 4 of the World Series and to bring luck to the team, he brought his goat “Murphy”! Since they did not allow animals in the stadium, they refused entrance.

Billy went to the owner, but was still refused entrance with the goat. Being upset, he declared that the Cubs would no longer win a World Series, as long as the goat was refused entrance to Wrigley Field. They lost the series that year and has not won a World Series since.

Saturday Night Live made the Billy Goat Tavern famous! SNL highlighted the tavern, with Bill Murray, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd and Loraine Newman. A sign outside the tavern quotes those famous lines: Cheezborger! Cheezborger! Cheezborger! “No-Pepsi – Coke”.

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24″ X 36″ original painting on stretched canvas not available.

Krispy Kreme Atlanta

October 16, 2020February 22, 2021 Admin

Krispy Kreme

Atlanta, GA

I exhibited at one of the largest and highest rated Festivals in the nation, “The Yellow Daisy Arts & Craft Festival” held at Stone Mountain Park, east of Atlanta, Georgia. I had been there for several years, so I had a lot of interest in my work.

A man from the Atlanta area had purchased several paintings from me and asked me if I would paint a special picture for him. My painting of the Krispy Kreme in Gainesville, Florida had received a huge response, with the police car from Mayberry in it.

The gentleman wanted me to paint one for him, with an Atlanta police car, since I didn’t want to paint the same picture more than once.

The man purchased the painting from me along with 3 others. That show was always one of my favorites, as I had painted many landmarks from the area, including the FOX Theatre Singin’ in the Rain; Fox Theatre, The King & I; The Varsity; a commissioned Varsity painting; the Stone Mountain Grist Mill in the Spring; The Stone Mountain Mill in the Summer. Oh, I forgot to mention the famous Big Chicken in Marietta, Georgia.

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24″ X 36″ original painting on canvas not available.

Varsity #1

October 16, 2020February 22, 2021 Admin

“The Varsity”

Atlanta, GA.

The first thing you hear when you arrive at the Varsity are the words, “What’ll ya have?” If you don’t know about the varsity, I need to bring you up to date. The date was 1928, when the varsity was opened, just a couple of blocks from Georgia Tech, in Atlanta, GA. It has become to be the World’s Largest Drive-in Restaurant. It can accommodate 600 cars and 800 people inside.

I have heard the drive-in restaurant serves 2 miles of Hot Dogs, a ton of Onions, 2500 pounds of Potatoes, 5000 Fried Pies and 300 gallons of Chili, made from scratch daily. That’s a lot of food they would have to have ready!

So, you see why I had to paint this painting. Of course, I had to include a well-known classic car to add to the picture, as if the Varsity needed to have anything added. By the way, the chili cheese dogs are outstanding! So, if you’re heading south on I-75 through downtown Atlanta, the Varsity will be on your left side.

You can learn more about the history and menu of the Varsity Drive-In Restaurant at:

www.thevarsity.com

16” x 20” ………. Limited Edition Paper Print $45.00

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24″ X 36″ original painting on canvas not available.

State Theatre

October 14, 2020February 22, 2021 Admin

The State Theatre,

South Bend, IN.

South Bend has had a number of theatres throughout the years. One of them being the State Theatre on S. Michigan Street, downtown. Built in 1919, it was originally the Blackstone Theatre. While as a young boy, they had four theatres on Michigan Street and one on Colfax Street. Those theatres no longer show movies. The Palace Theatre, another painting that I have done, is now the Morris Performing Arts Center, which now is part of the Broadway Performances brought to the area. Other Theatres I have painted are: The Palace in South Bend, IN; The Reese in Plymouth, IN; Fox in Detroit, Atlanta’s Fox, Fox #2 in Atlanta; The Chicago Theatre; The Los Angeles Theatre; Loew’s Theatre in Jersey City, NJ, Warner Theatre, Elkhart and the Lerner Sign in Elkhart, Indiana.

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Morris Performing Arts Center

October 14, 2020February 22, 2021 Admin

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Luigi’s Pizza

October 14, 2020March 13, 2022 Admin

Luigi’s Pizza,

South Bend, Indiana.

I remember when I was in High school many decades ago, riding my bicycle to Luigi’s Pizza, several miles away, in an area called River Park, for a pizza. Luigi’s is still around, but have moved from the place on the corner. My Aunt, Jean, used to talk about going to Luigi’s when she was in High School. She is now over 90 years old. That’s an indication as to how long they have been making pizzas.

When I painted the painting, I included her driving her favorite car (Ford Retractable) and around the corner is Uncle Don, with his Studebaker (Silver Hawk). When they came to one of my art shows, they saw it for the first time. When they said they loved it, I told them that I painted it for them.

Uncle Don has since passed-away, but the painting still hangs in Aunt Jean’s Family Room where she can see it easily while watching TV or just relaxing.

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A & W Root Beer Barrel

October 14, 2020February 22, 2021 Admin

A&W Root Beer Barrel

South Bend – Elkhart, Indiana

There was a time when building designs were used to attract customers, as well as Signs and other types of advertising. The Barrel became a popular design for Root Beer, as they buildings resembled the Barrel.

The Root Beer barrel I painted here was in the South Bend – Elkhart area. There were barrels located at 3 locations in South Bend, on Lincolnway, across the river from the Farmers Market , State Road 23 & Ironwood and at Mayflower and Western area. Elkhart had a barrel located on North Main Street. There were a few others located in the Michiana area. I painted it to look like as if it could have been any one of those locations. Of course, as usual, I surrounded the building with cars that could have been there during the 1950s.

I lived on North Ironwood, so it was just a short bicycle ride to the Barrel at Ironwood and State Road 23. There is a supermarket at that location now and all of the other A & W Root Beer Barrels have since disappeared, replaced with more modern buildings and equipment.

Other A & W paintings that I have done: A & W Rootbeer Drive-in, Taylor, MI

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

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Azar’s Big Boy

October 14, 2020February 22, 2021 Admin

Azar’s Big Boy

South Bend, IN

Azar’s Big Boy was a typical 1950s Drive-in, complete with Car Hops. It was right next to another Drive-in called Bonnie Doon. The back of the drive-ins was an alley, so it became a way to go in one and drive to the other and exit back to the street, around the block and do it all over again. This was called the “Merry-go-round”. Also popular in the 1960s, when I was in High School were motor scooters. The 2 pictured are the Cushman brand. The one of the left is like the one my brother drove. It even had a stick shift. Another popular scooter at the time was the Allstate. It had bubble type fenders with a storage compartment on one side, unlike the red Cushman with the storage compartment under the seat.

This painting was one of my first paintings when I started featuring classic cars.

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LaSalle Hotel Rooftop Signs

October 13, 2020February 22, 2021 Admin

LaSalle Hotel – Rooftop Sign,

South Bend, IN.

When I was growing up in South Bend, I always remembered looking north on Michigan Street and seeing those signs atop the LaSalle Hotel, sitting at an angle so you could see them from blocks away in each direction. There were other businesses with similar signs, also perched atop their buildings visually crying out to potential customers. It just added to the nostalgia of the time.

Those signs are no longer there and with my intent to bring back some of the old nostalgic flavor of the city, I recreated the signs that overlooked the city. The Bendix Corporation, also in South Bend had a tower with the name spelled out vertically in lights. I included it in the picture, way off in the distance.

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

Bonnie Doon Drive-in,US 31 N

October 13, 2020February 22, 2021 Admin

Bonnie Doon,

US 31 North, South Bend, Indiana.

There were 5 local Bonnie Doon ice cream shops that were drive-ins, in the South Bend – Mishawaka, Indiana area. I had painted a couple of the stores when a couple approached me and wanted a painting of the drive-in on US 31 north, which was located between South Bend, Indiana and Niles, Michigan. It was just north of a community called Roseland.

There was a catch to this painting though. The couple had been married at the church, across from this particular Bonnie Doon drive-in. The wife and her mother had both worked there, and while the couple had dated, they spend many evenings at Bonnie Doon. Here’s the catch! I told them I would paint their car in the painting. We compromised and I painted all the cars they had owned since they had been married into the picture, in all the correct colors.

As you can see, here is the final result. The prints of the painting became popular and I have painted the same place with other personal cars in the paintings, BUT NOT AS MANY! I had a ball creating this painting. Here the other Bonnie Doon paintings I have painted: Bonnie Doon, S. Michigan St., South Bend; Bonnie Doon on Lincolnway West in Mishawaka: Bonnie Doon in the 1940s on 4th St in Mishawaka; Bonnie Doon on 4th St. Mishawaka in the 1950s.

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24” x 36” ……….Original Painting on stretched canvas Not Available