Often I have an exact idea of what I want to create in a painting and find that it develops into its own story. For instance, I recall painting a building that I made into Todd’s General Store. I thought it would be interesting to include old adverts and signs on the building itself like “UNEEDA BISQUIT CO.” This led to painting a few other signs within the painting. I painted the store’s door open so you could see two little ones getting penny candy at the case. I thought of two kids looking inside their penny candy bags they just got, maybe deciding on what to have next. Then there was a cart going by pulled by two pigs with only one so happy and proud to just break away with its nose up in the air. Two other kids are happy, too, walking along with yo – yo’s on the way to buy penny candy. When I first opened my shop many years ago in Essex, MA I sold penny candy and for that reason I believe my thoughts led to include these memories in the painting. Another element to the painting was the building next door to the general store that I made into a fish market with two people upstairs shucking clams as a customer entered. Thinking how it would be just to relax and read a paper in the rocking chair (I might have been tired myself while painting) I added that to the scene. Ideas build upon other ideas, memories and together a story unfolds in the shape of a painted tale. There’s always a story within and behind a painting.
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