Larry Johnston. Nostalgia – Larry Johnston, Nostalgic Artist

Lantern

October 21, 2020February 21, 2021 Admin

“The Lantern”

Pine Mountain, Georgia

While traveling in Central Georgia, we had just finished a show in Pine Mountain, Georgia and as we were driving down the highway, we saw a house that was more than an antique shop. We called it the junk shop. It had almost everything you could think of, that was of no value. I took some pictures while I was there and later painted a few of the items.

One of those items was hanging from a nail on the wall. “The lantern” painting became just one of the items that came from that junk shop. “The Corner Shelf”, “Wickers End” and “The Coal Bucket” and the milk can was also highlighted in my paintings.

Duck Decoy-Wood

October 20, 2020February 22, 2021 Admin

Here are links to each of the Duck Decoy’s, Northern Shoveller, Mallard, Merganthaller.

No Prints are available.

Amish Acres Restaurant Barn

October 20, 2020February 22, 2021 Admin

Amish Acres Restaurant Barn

Nappanee, Indiana

The first outdoor Art Festival I exhibited in was in Nappanee, Indiana, about 30 minutes from where I lived at the time in 1976. It was an exciting time, as it was held in the apple orchard of a real working Amish Farm.

I exhibited at Amish Acres Arts and Craft Festival for 30 years and made a habit of eating at their Restaurant Barn on the last of the four-day show, before tearing down and packing up my display. They are famous for their Amish Family-style “Threshers Dinner”.

I painted the Restaurant Barn painting, as well as 3 other places on the grounds. Other paintings were: The Amish Farm House, The Round Barn Theatre and the Meat and Cheese shop.

At one time, many years ago, Amish Acres Art Festival was in the top 5 art festivals in the Country, I have exhibited and sold my artwork here for more than 30 years.

Neet Covered Bridge

October 20, 2020February 22, 2021 Admin

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:

Mecca Covered Bridge

Neet Covered Bridge

Bridgeton Covered Bridge

Beeson Covered Bridge

Euharlee Covered Bridge

Euharlee Covered Bridge-Spring

Concord Covered Bridge

Poole’s Mill Covered Bridge

Pepsi Covered Brid

Katamaran White Sail

October 20, 2020February 22, 2021 Admin

Farm House, Kenna WV

October 20, 2020February 22, 2021 Admin

Farm House

Kenna, West Virginia

While exhibiting at the Mountain State Arts & Crafts Festival in Ripley, West Virginia, we met a Dentist who wanted to barter for a painting of his boyhood home. After completing the painting, we also agreed on a painting of his mother’s home in Kenna, West Virginia. In the painting, he also wanted the old classic car you see in the painting. To see the first painting, click here.

https://www.caredash.com/doctors/philip-vicini-dds-sissonville-wv

Tilley’s Trolley

October 19, 2020February 22, 2021 Admin

Tilley’s Trolley

Cartersville, Georgia

In 1983, Evelyn and I moved to Georgia from California. While exhibiting at several art festivals in our new environment, I had a request for a painting of a covered bridge in Bartow County, GA. On our way to the bridge, we passed through Cartersville and saw, what looked like a permanent carnival, with a Ferris Wheel, Merry-Go-Round, a ride with swings and a refreshment stand.

Several weeks later, I stopped and took some photos. One of the paintings was of the trolley, with the Ferris Wheel. The man who owned the rides, was names Tilley, so it became Tilley Park, where he offered the park to organizations to use for fund-raising.

We ended up buying a home in that little town, where we lived for several years. The cameras back then were not as sharp, so I only was able to show this one photo of the painting. The Tilley family now owns two of the paintings that I did of their park, which is no longer there. Here is a link to the other painting. Tilley Park Painting.

I painted several Cartersville places, and some really close by, here are the links…

Cartersville Depot

Ross Diner

Roselawn, Sam Jones Home

Euharlee Covered Bridge

Euharlee Covered Bridge in the Spring

“The Train”

October 19, 2020February 22, 2021 Admin

“The Train”

Thurmond, West Virginia

The mountains of Vest Virginia are beautiful, so while in the area, we went picture-taking and ended up in Thurmond, West Virginia. It was a Coal Town, but I was told it had no roads at one time. You had to travel by train to get there. I took many photos of the area and later painted “The Train”. I made sure to show the low clouds in the mountains along with the beautiful fall colors. In my photos, there was an old oil tanker car sitting on the tracks, so I turned it into an old steam train.

Thurmond was used in a movie in 1987, called “Matewan” about a 1920’s coal mining town, dramatizing “The Battle of the Matewan Coal Strike in 1920”. It included Actor James Earl Jones.

Thurmond is located, in the New River Gorge. The 2010 Census shows the town is made up of a total population of 5 people. There’s not much Real Estate action around there. The whole town is on the Historic Register.

Broken Swing

October 19, 2020February 22, 2021 Admin

“The Broken Swing”

Although I spent many years traveling around the country with my work and painting many landmarks that only the locals would appreciate, I also did several local Indiana shows. One of them, being Amish Acres, in Nappanee, Indiana. I exhibited there 30 times since 1976, receiving many awards and watching the festival grow from the apple orchard, (When I started) to the huge festival it has become today. I did several paintings from this area.

One of them was Weldy School, an Amish School that was located just west of the town. I was also fascinated in the school yard with the playground equipment they had. I painted the old brick school building, since then been demolished and replaced with a new school. They had a hand water pump outside the school which I also painted.

The broken swing gained plenty of interest as it tells a subtle story, with the stubby yellow pencil nestled in the grass and the swing hanging by just one chain.

Thrasher Brother’s Warehouse

October 19, 2020February 22, 2021 Admin

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.