by Dave
One of the reasons we got the Great Pumpkin was so that we could travel around and I could lug all of my painting and computer gear around and be free to travel the backroads. I have begun a series of paintings based on Googie Architecture signs, which are signs that popped up along main thoroughfares across the US in the 50's and 60's. Think neon, Route 66, the famous Welcome to Las Vegas sign and the Jetsons. This journey, I am stocking up on reference photos to get through the winter with as we go to Paris, TN for Thanksgiving with Jules' family.
I actually had no idea what Googie Architecture was until I ran into a guy at a show that I was doing about a year ago. I had one of my sign paintings on my hand-out and told me to look it up. My initial interest in sign art has come from many places. As a boy, I grew up in a printing business and around people who hand painted signs, I even dabbled in it a bit in college and after. That lead to the discovery of Von Dutch, the man, the myth, the legend. Not the ridiculous company that has stolen has name, and used it for mass marketing hats and t-shirts. I also have an affinity for all things old, things that are gone to ruin, that should be preserved... old cabins, tractors, houses, etc. I grew up in a house built in 1835, until I was 34, I never owned a car that wasn't older than I was and I love rust.
I am sure this topic will continue to pop up as we travel up and down Hwy 41 and around the southeast discovering these little gems before they go away forever. Sometimes, you just have to slow down to appreciate these things before they are gone. You can also check my blog and website to see my sign paintings as well as the old cars, truck and tractors.
Todays blog installment is a cross-section of photos I took today, I revisited my favorite sign and the inspiration for my first Googie Art Sign piece, the Vacation Motor Hotel.
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