A History of Americana in Art
No Prints Available at this time. If you are interested in a print of the original painting above, let me know, I am always looking for new good quality vendors!
Links to other covered bridge paintings I have done can be found here:
No Prints Available at this time. If you are interested in a print of the original painting above, let me know, I am always looking for new good quality vendors!
Links to other covered bridge paintings I have done can be found here:
Kerchman County Fair
“The Carnival”
While exhibiting at an Art Show near Orlando, Florida over fifteen years ago, I was approached by a lady, who was impressed by my paintings and asked if I would be interested in painting a picture for her. That doesn’t sound so, “out of the ordinary”, but then she gave me the details.
She worked for a company, that has a picnic every year about the same time and needed a painting that represented the event, for their poster. Here’s the deal…..Every year, artists submit a picture for competition and the one that is chosen will receive a cash award. They would keep the painting and print 1000 limited edition prints, from the painting and the artist could keep the overruns.
The same artist had won 3 years in a row. I was shown the paintings that had won previously, some watercolor, others were a pastel, pen and ink and colored pencil and they were all very good. I was given a deadline to present the picture, so they could compare it against the other entries. The winning artist would then make corrections, as needed and return the winning piece. She gave me some photographs of the event from previous years to use as a reference.
After presenting the painting, it was chosen as was, with no changes. I heard later that there was another artist, who was upset because he didn’t win. He was counting on the prize money.
Oliver Ford
Plymouth, IN
Oliver Ford, Located in Plymouth, Indiana is one of the commission paintings that I have done over many years. The painting was a gift from the owner’s children. They wanted their new dealership painted and also wanted specific vehicles added to the painting. It was a lot of fun adding vehicles to the painting to make it look realistic.
“The Barber Tonics”
Chesterton, Indiana
While spending my time gathering information and traveling around the country, I decided to paint a series of four paintings for each subject. One of the subjects was Barber Related. In Chesterton, Indiana, while exhibiting at one of the Arts Festivals, I visited a barber shop, located at the end of the street. On the shelf were some barber related items on display. In the middle of it was Hopalong Cassidy hair tonic. I had never heard or seen that tonic. The owner said he had two of them.
I painted this painting to go along with the other three, to complete my “Barber Set”. The other paintings were, “The Barber Chair”, “Barber Pole” and “The Berma-Shave Barn”.
No Prints Available at this time.
Links to other barber related paints I have done can be found here:
Copyright Larry Johnston
Biff Burger
St. Petersburg, Florida
This painting was of the popular Biff Burger in St. Petersburg, Florida, located on 49th Street. It still has the original design and is the only one left from the original hundreds of franchised restaurants that disappeared mostly in the 1970s.
Instead of Burgers, Fries and Shakes, they offered many other possibilities, for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. While exhibiting at shows is the area, it was suggested that Biff Burger would make a great local addition to my paintings. It was one of my early paintings of nostalgic cars and diners.
Other St Pete places I have painted are:
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.
Punta Clara Candy Kitchen.
Fairhope, Alabama
One of my favorite Art festivals was in Fairhope, Alabama, as it was one of the best in the country. Just south of Fairhope, on scenic Highway 98 was a fascinating little house surrounded by a picket fence in Fairhope, Alabama, just north of Point Clear.
In 1952 Dorothy Pacey started her business in the backyard. Now over 60 years later the family owned business continues to produce their variety of Fudges, Pralines, Divinity, Jellies, candies, Jams, Jellies,, Preserves, relishes and cakes. The whole family joined to produce their recipe book, “The Black Kettle”.
My painting of the Punta Clara Candy Kitchen became a popular item, as I sold individual prints and sets of the area.
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.
4 Way Lunch
Cartersville, Georgia
Located in Cartersville, Georgia, at the corner of East Main Street (Hwy 41) and Gilmer Street, the “4-Way”, as the locals called it, has been there since 1931. I painted the painting in about 1984, when I was exhibiting in art shows in the area. It was one of my most popular paintings of the time.
The 4-Way was small, but it had front doors and a side door. As you entered through the front doors, you noticed there were no tables, just 8 stools across the front of the counter. They may have had 2 or 3 at the end of the counter, but they were always full. As soon as you finished eating, they asked you to get up, pay and go on about your day. Their menu was simple with hot dogs, hamburgers and fried chicken. Their gravy burgers, you had to eat with a fork. I enjoyed watching them make the chili dogs, The cook lined up all the hot dogs up and down his arm and look a ladle and filled them with the chili. The health department would not allow such a thing in todays world!
The 4-way was not a place for a leisure lunch with friends and conversation. When you finished eating, you had to leave, to let the next person come in and have a place to sit. It was quite an experience.
It is located just off I-75 about 40 miles north of Atlanta. It’s well worth the experience.
I painted several Cartersville places, and some really close by, here are the links…
Swenson’s Ice Cream and Drive-in
Akron, Ohio
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, I was busy taking photos of old restaurants and diners, to use as a subject for my paintings. Some of them had been around for years and we lived with them on-a-daily- basis, but we never thought that one day they would be gone.
Some of the buildings were torn down literally days after taking pictures of them. Others were remodeled and new signed installed. What I captured was the memories of the beginnings of many of these businesses.
While exhibiting in Akron, Ohio, I found Swenson’s on Cuyahoga Falls Avenue and took photos of it. After finishing the painting, the drive-in was remodeled with a canopy to park under while ordering and waiting for your order.
It was popular in North Akron when I was there, serving Hamburgers, French Fries, Malts, Shakes and other great food, that became famous in the 1940s and 1950s.
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.
The Barber Pole
Cave Spring, Georgia
You may have seen some of my other Barber related paintings. I painted the Barber Chair, from a shop I found in Cave Springs, Georgia. This Barber pole was from the same shop. As you can see on the window, it says “Air Conditioned” and “Hot Shower Bath”. I was curious about the combination because they seemed to be from different eras. The story, as I was told, it was on a truck route, so they had drivers stop in for a haircut and a bath. As Air Conditioning became popular, it was also included in the sign.
The Barber Chair and the Barber Pole became popular items, especially at the Cave Spring show and the Rome, Georgia show. Eventually, I painted four paintings, which became one of my sets of 4. They were the Barber Chair, Barber Pole, Burma Shave Barn and the Barber Tonics. The set became one of my most popular sets across the country.
No Prints Available at this time. If you are interested in a print, let me know, I am always looking for new good quality vendors!
Links to other barber related paints I have done can be found here: