The Pinto Motel

While exhibiting at an Arts Festival, at the Shrimp Festival, in Gulf Shores, Alabama, I was approached by a young couple that was interested in several paintings to be commissioned.  He had seen my work before and brought a photo with him.  At this point I did not know that the several paintings would be four of the same picture.

I was handed a black and white photo of the Pinto Motel.  It looked like it had been vacant for many years.  You know, it was the kind of photograph with the rippled edges, from before I was born. It seems, that their ancestors owned a motel somewhere in the southwest. The owner had passed away many years ago. It was one of the 4 grandchildren that wanted me to paint four paintings, in color, so he could keep one and give the other three as presents to his three siblings.  All four of the paintings were 9″ x 12″.  I bet it was a treasured gift, since the motel was probably gone by then.