A History of Americana in Art
Fire Hose Reel Fire Station #2
Mishawaka, IN
Fire Station #2 in Mishawaka, Indiana is located on North Main Street. The antique Fire Hose Reel is on display just outside for everyone to see. Can you imagine having to pull that behind you, when many roads of that era were not paved and definitely were not smooth.
The painting was a 9 x 12 and was painted with acrylic paint on stretched canvas. The original painting was sold shortly after it was finished, many years ago.
The Fire Dog
While in the area of Gray, Georgia exhibiting at a show I called, “Little Beaver Creek”, because there were several shows with that name, I came across a fire hydrant that caught my eye, sitting on the side of the road. I was in the process of painting Fire Dept. related paintings, so I stopped and took a few pictures of it. When it came to painting it, I decided to add the dog since the Dalmatian was also Fire Department related. What better than a puppy.
The set of four, I completed, was the Fire Dog, a Fire Truck, Fire Hose reel, and Fire Station.
“The Fire Truck”
Ripley, West Virginia
While traveling around the country exhibiting at hundreds of Art shows and festivals, One of the best in the Country was the Mountain State Arts & Crafts Festival, in Ripley, West Virginia. It was rated #1 in the Country by Sunshine Artist Magazine a number of years ago.
As I returned to this show in July of each year with new paintings, I kept seeing this old fire truck just sitting out in a field. You might say that it’s days of fighting fires were over and it was put out to pasture. (Pun intended). Eventually, I stopped and took pictures of the truck and painted the acrylic painting on canvas.
Every year since, I sold quite a few prints, especially to the local residents. I was told by the property owners, that the fire truck had been used in parades since its retirement. That’s where the Stroh’s sign on the truck came from. It was put on after retirement.
Other Fire Department related paintings include: Fire Dog; Fire Station #2 Hose Reel; Miami Fire Station #6 and Cassopolis Fire Station.
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.
Fire Station #6
Miami, Florida
There was a time in my Art Festival Travels when I exhibited in many of the top shows in the country. During that time, the #1 show was Coconut Grove Arts Festival, in Florida. During that show, I sold a painting of the Fire Truck in a field, in Ripley, WV to the Fire Chief of the Miami Fire Dept. Later he contacted me to paint a painting for him of the Miami Fire Dept. as it used to look. He had a black and white photo of the station, taken years prior to then.
I painted several commission paintings in my career. This was just one of them. Another painting I sold at that show in 2003, was of the Key Biscayne Light house, which was purchased by a well-known member of the Versace family, a known name in the area and the Fashion Industry.
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.