Roadside American architecture, from food outlets to junkyards, has long inspired art, be it music, literature, paintings or movies.
New England-domiciled artist Bob Lavoie continues that creative thread with his vibrant paintings of diners, stores, wrecking yards and chromed 1950s classic cars.
Bob grew up in Swansea, MA, and among his early automotive experiences was his father’s 1958 Plymouth Fury.
“It was two-tone blue with those beautiful fins,” he recalls. “Seeing one at our local ‘cars and coffee’ events always brings back memories.”
The graphically depicted period-style neon sign outside West Side Diner in Providence, Rhode Island, is a more modern addition to the 1947 structure
Such nostalgia has inspired a series of paintings of American classic cars, including bold studies of dazzling Cadillacs and Chevrolets against dramatic backgrounds.
Bob’s parents were not artistic, but he remembers that his mother enjoyed drawing to please her young son.
At school, seeing his illustrations pinned up in the art room encouraged Bob’s creativity.
That talent led him to a career in design, including at Hasbro toys where Bob worked on classics such as GI Joe and Transformers, before starting his own studio.
