Saturday, July 19, 2008

Tom's Diner 2003 (acrylic on canvas 8"X4")

I painted Tom's Diner in 2003, the same year a fire broke out in the kitchen and the owner passed away.

Tom's was a great traditional diner - a greasy spoon where you could get a good meal at a reasonable price. The red checkered table cloths and a blaring TV was what I had always imagined an American diner to be. Tom's was never open on a Sunday, and hasn't been opened any day for some time now.

The diner still stands at the Ledgewood circle on Route 10. I hope someday someone with energy will fall in love with Tom's and reinstate an American classic.

At the time I painted this I was taking watercolor lessons at a local clubhouse, and struggled with the transition to acrylics. The blurring of colors in the water is something I still enjoy today. My fascination with Charles Demuth and Charles Scheeler have also not abated. Maybe in time I'll get them out of my system.

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