Coca-Cola Bottles

Acrylic on gessoed hardboard, 2011

14 x 14'', painting# 198

I was invited to take part in a group show entitled ''The Real Thing'', celebrating the 125th anniversary of Coca-Cola. The art exhibition is set to open on September 16 at the Mason Murer Fine Art in Atlanta, Georgia. The headquarters of the world's most famous soda pop is also located here. The gallery received a request by the Coca-Cola corporation to host this special anniversary show for the general public and for it's 200 top shareholders

For this painting I was hoping to find some vintage bottles with white lettering. The same type of bottles that would have been in use when I was growing up. I couldn't believe my good fortune when I found some on a Kijiji listing from a seller who lived only 2 miles from my house.

Also in this composition is an early 20th century replica tray that boost the 1904 slogan ''Delicious and Refreshing - Sold Everywhere 5¢''. A later 1909 slogan, '' Whenever you see an arrow think Coca-Cola'', prompted me to use a carboard cut-out that I had picked up at a yard sale last summer on Prince Edward Island. I believe it was part of a larger advertising display. It had a retro look and I instantly recognized it's potential as a prop for a future painting.

The bottles from this painting were actually clear glass. I took the photo studies on our green tinted tempered glass patio table, that boost a green market umbrella and I slid a green place mat under the tray in hoping that some of the green would somehow be absorb by the glass, which it did. After doing a tighter cropping on Photoshop, I tweaked the color green a bit, and a new heighten imagery popped on the screen. 



My very first painting done in 1987 featured my wife with a Coca-Cola cup & straw. My oldest painting to sell done in 1989 was of a Corner Store with a Coca-Cola button sign. For this show, I was hoping to produce a piece that really had a WOW factor. With that said and many Coca-Cola paintings done over the past 24 years, this one is my very favorite.

Twelve artists are taking part in this exhibit which also includes the talents of Neil Hollingsworth, Jelaine Faunce, Teresa N. Fisher, Todd Ford, Otto Lange, David Malan, Michael Naples, Christopher Stott, Sally Tharp, and Vic Vicini .

Exhibited- September 16 - late October, 2011
Painting selected to be part of the Coca-Cola 125th Anniversary Invitational Group Exhibition held at Mason Murer Fine Art in Atlanta.

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Update - September 7, 2012
This painting will be part of a group exhibition entitled: 

ASPECTS OF REALISM
Saint John Arts Centre
City of Saint John Gallery
20 Hazen Avenue
Saint John, NB CANADA
(506) 633-4870

September 7 - October 27, 2012
Opening reception is on September 7 - 5:30 to 7:30pm

Please contact Handworks Gallery if you wish to acquire the painting.

12 King Street,
Saint John, NB, CANADA E2L 1G2
(506) 652-9787
e-mail - info@handworks.ca 

-SOLD