First Plein Air of 2026: The Paul C. Marsh General Store
I drove the van up to Locust Fork today to paint my first plein air piece of 2026—and my first in a long time. With the “PPT Posse” in tow, I spent about two hours at the easel. It’s a simple piece, but it’s got a lot of heart in it.
An Unexpected History Lesson
While I was working, a couple in a pickup truck passed by, turned around, and came back to chat. It turned out to be Mr. Marsh, whose parents owned the store! He told me he was raised right there in that building; when he was a baby, his parents would tuck him into an old banana box to sleep.
The Paul C. Marsh General Store, a historic landmark built in 1931, stands as a nostalgic reminder of old country stores in Locust Fork, Alabama. Operated by the Marsh family from 1945 until 1994, this historic building spans nearly five decades of local history. The store’s unique architecture has inspired artists and photographers, and has even been featured in movies and advertisements.
It was such a pleasure to meet him and hear the living history behind the storefront I was capturing.
Painting Details:
- Subject: Historic General Store
- Medium: Acrylic
- Surface: 8×10 Wood Panel
- Time: 2 Hours
Thank you for reading and for your interest in my art.
JG Artis
Interesting story,,what a coincidence the man raised in that house drive by,,& tell you his story about being raised in that hiuse,,.very good painting & photos,,thanks for sharing
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Ty, I sure enjoyed painting it after I got started, it been awhile since i have painted plein air! It was so cool that mr Marsh stoped by.
I loved our trip today to Locust Fork & what a beautiful day it was & enjoyed capturing each & every photo. I was happy to have our babies with us & being able to go in Pp.
Jg, I just love your first Plein Air painting of the year of the old Marsh store & glad I got to see you in action on the side of Old Hollow Road. It felt like a miracle that Mr Marsh stopped by right before we were done & fixen to leave & loved that he shared his story with us. Can’t wait to see where we go for your next painting.
“Keep on Keeping on”
Kathy Rose 🌹
Ty, and ty for taking all the photos, being my assistant keeping my water changed helping me setup and tare down. And for keeping the posse with drinks and snacks. Making sure them babies were safe and watered and walked. It was so cool mr Marsh stoped by. Im ready to go paint again. And ready to have pp on the road painting all the time.
Wow! That’s a beautiful pointing! I’m even more surprised that Mr Marsh didn’t buy it But I don’t believe in coincidences I believe in was Gods way of telling you to keep painting You will meet people that care about you and love your Art And Kathy is a great photographer It was nice to be able to see the steps taken to get to the finish And you know I love the purple It makes the painting! Glad Pp is running good Can’t wait for the next adventure ❤️
”Ty! 😊 Yes, ‘Pp’ is running pretty well; almost all the mechanical work is done. I still need to install the air compressor for the air shocks and extend the exhaust five feet out the back. I wasn’t planning on using purple in the painting, but I’m glad I did!
The step-by-step photos Kathy Rose takes are always so cool to see. Thank you for the thoughts on meeting caring people who like my art; I’ll be glad to get out and away from here, as there’s just so much history. I hear you on the ‘sign’—I don’t believe it was a coincidence either. Thanks for the compliment on my first plein air painting in a long time!”