Acrylic on Canvas, 28″ x 72″ x 1.5″, Sold

Route 66 flows through Albuquerque, New Mexico. The main artery called Central Avenue is home to many old motels. One is the Hiway House Motel. This is an absolutely fun sign. The cartoon with the two old people in a stylized model T is hilarious. Having a cartoon in a sign is one of those elements that today’s city governments are trying to abolish (see related post). How boring is our country getting by abandoning creativity and trying to legislate conformity? I am trying, through this series, to remind the viewer that there was a time in our country when we broke out of the box of sameness and expressed ourselves through our roadside imagery.

Yes, the purpose of these was to get attention were to gain dramatic visual effect. But they also differentiated the variety of establishments. To see the results of the harmonization of America, where it is hard see the difference between one establishment and another, just drive around Disneyland. Of course not many people realize this but Walt himself wanted the neon gone.

To purchase prints of “Hiway House” please click on this link.

Route 66 News blog has reported that the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is proposing a ban on existing neon signs. Central Avenue, the heart of the city, is part of the old Route 66. I have painted several Albuquerque Route 66 images such as the El Don Motel, Hiway House Motel, and the famous El Vado Motel.

My subject matter consists of these old signs. I wanted to record these artistic creations before they are banished to history.

It looks like I may need to hurry a little faster.

My choices in painting this image were numerous. One, It has “66″ in it and therefore was an obvious part of the old mother road. Second, it has an interesting combination of neon and bulbs. Third, it was weather worn and had character. Although my style is usually flat, sans much of the water marks and dings usually seen on a fifty year old sign, I left some of the character of age in the work. Since the sign is actually quite small, the cropping makes it look larger than it is, I added more detail than I usually include.

“Roy’s Motel” Acrylic on Canvas, 24″ x 36″ x 1.5″, 2003

This probably has to be the most out of the way I’ve gone to get my source for painting. Amboy, located in the Mohave Desert northwest of Los Angeles, was one of the towns that got bypassed by Interstate 40. This town was the basis for the movie “Cars” , in fact “Cars” was originally titled “Route 66″ but later was changed.

As I drove into Amboy it seemed like driving into a Twilight Zone episode. It was basically deserted. The sign for the old motel was in relatively good shape. It was an eerie feeling photographing the sign and not see a soul in sight, no cars, nothing. I expected Rod Sterling to pop out and start his monologue…”Witness, if you will, a stranger in a strange town….”

The sign itself is an icon of Route 66, probably one of the greatest testaments to what was once a great road. The Design of it, a huge but quietly suggestive indication of where no doubt the motel is located, is one of the great old signs remaining on the Mother Road.

Prints of this painting can be purchased here.

Most of my work has been sold in the “Road/Signs” series so I will be creating new work very soon for an exhibition in Oklahoma celebrating Route 66. More information about the exhibit will come later however it takes a while to produce work for an exhibit. I have traveled the mother road several times and have many reference shots of existing subject matter. I would like input from you on what you feel is the essence of Route 66 and would make a statement for the show. Any suggestions would be welcomed.

As I work I plan to keep this blog updated with images of the work in progress, something most artists will not do, however I love to share the knowledge I have of process and progress.