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.
Most everyone has seen photos of Rosie’s Diner, some with miniature lights for tail lights and in strategic areas of the photo that you could hang in your recreation room, or maybe the kitchen. The painting above, is also of Rosie’s Diner. Let me tell you the story of how this painting started.
While participating in the #1 Art Show, at the time, in the country, which was Coconut Grove, Florida, I met a ceramic artist who made miniature diners that had neon on them. It was great work. The artist, Jerry Berta, told me a story that fascinated me. I had seen those photos in stores and restaurants, I mentioned above.
Jerry had a REAL diner, that he used as a studio to make his miniature diners. People would show up at his door, wanting to buy diner food, and he had to explain to them, it was only his studio. Then he had the opportunity to purchase a diner in Little Ferry, New Jersey. They were going to get rid of the diner to make room for what they called “Progress” and offered Jerry a deal, he couldn’t refuse.
The Silver Dollar Diner, was the name of the Diner, where the well-known commercial with Rosie, the waitress, advertised paper towels. Jerry accepted the deal and moved it to Michigan. He said he only had 10 flat tires during the move. When he arrived in Rockford, he renamed the Diner, ‘Rosie’s. It was located in the same parking lot as his other diner and sold regular Diner Food.
On various nights of the month, he would turn on the neon lights and allow people to photograph their classic cars in the watered-down parking lot, which shows the reflections of the neon.
While in Greenville, Michigan at an Art Festival, I took time to stop there and photograph the diner. The painting above is from the photos I took that day.
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.
During the outdoor drive in era, the Ft George Drive-in was built in 1950. It was located at 16300 Fort Street, in Southgate, Michigan. The theatre had one screen and could hold 1200 cars, which later, after remodeling, was able to service 1300.
During a storm in 1990, the screen was damaged by the high winds. It was eventually torn down in 1991.
While touring with my paintings, I had done several theatres, when I was told about the Ft George theatre at the Wyandotte Art Fair, just north of Southgate, where the drive-in theatre used to be. After some research, I found a black and white sketch of the theatre. I believe it was on a matchbook cover.
I painted the 24 x 36 painting before the show, the following year. I made prints of the painting and it became a popular item in the area. It’s amazing how many people remember that theatre along with some of the stories that followed.
While exhibiting in Georgia, at one of the Arts Festivals, I had a print of a painting that I had previously sold. A customer liked it so much that they wanted a painting of it. Since I don’t paint identical paintings, except when someone wants several of them for gifts, such as a family home, in which I have painted as many as four. They went to all four siblings of a family.
We agreed to paint the FOX Theatre, but with a different view and a special car. The First Fox painting was “Singin’ in the Rain”. The second painting featured “The King and I”.
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…
As an artist, I am always looking at things differently than most. I have painted several nostalgic businesses around the country. This painting is a combination of two photos. The building, Dog ‘n Mug, once a well-known Root Beer car hop drive-in, closed and eventually became Dog ‘n Mug. It was in operation for a few years, was sold and is no longer an eating establishment.
This painting was commissioned by the owners when they first opened and requested some changes to the painting, which included put their his and hers cars in the painting.
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
24″ X 36″ original painting on canvas not available.
Bob Jo’s Frozen ice cream shop was established in 1947 and has been going strong ever since. The have all the favorite frozen desserts, including Yogurt and Frozen Custard. To keep the customers flocking in, they change their flavors of yogurt and custard once a week. We had to stop several times while in the area at 4071 Fort St., Wyandotte, MI.
I returned the following year to the Wyandotte Art Festival with prints and found that Bob Jo’s was a collectable item to the locals.
During my years on the road exhibiting at Art Shows and Festivals, Crown Point, Indiana was a regular on my tour, as it was held on the Court House lawn in the center of town.
The library, built in 1908 was located at 223 S. Main Street, just one block from the center of the town, from the Court house. With the expansion of the library, it now extends all the way to Court Street. The original part of the building is now being used as office space for the Crown Point Community Library.
