coke – Larry Johnston, Nostalgic Artist

Thrasher Bros. Warehouse

Micanopy, Florida

Micanopy is just south of Gainesville, Florida, just east of the I-75 exit. was founded in 1821. Most of the buildings in the town are on the National Register of Historic Places since 1983. There are antiques and places to shop in the oldest Florida inland settlement, which is located about 25 minutes south of Gainesville, Florida. The town has been nicknamed “The little town that time forgot.”

The town has been used for several Hollywood movies, such as “Doc Hollywood” with Michael J. Fox and “Cross Creek” with Mary Steenburgen.

The town had numerous possibilities for nostalgic paintings. Thrasher Brothers warehouse was an obvious favorite, with the Coca-Cola sign painted on the side of the building. The warehouse is also the home for the Micanopy Historical Society.

“Norman’s Country Store”

Cartersville, Georgia

“Normans”, is a unique country store that I painted in the 1980’s. There was a man who was a sign and antique collector, who had boxes of items just packed away. Deciding to put them on display, where he could show off his collectibles, Norman built a country store behind his home on his property. As you can see in the painting, he had signs all over the building, a gas pump, an old truck and much more.

We went inside to look at his other items, he had collected, and I was amazed to see, that he had everything you would ever need to make that a real store, right down to the cash register and pot belly stove.

I proceeded to take pictures of the inside and outside. Norman decided he wanted me to paint it on canvas, so he commissioned me to paint it.

Sadly to say, several years later, while he and the family were away, I heard that someone stole all the signs off the building and I don’t know what else, but hopefully they found out who it was. At least he has the painting to remember it by.