Down Home

                                  With Dempsey

                                                                                     

 

The "Down Home" Poster Series afforded Dempsey the opportunity to paint local scenes he had known and come to admire while growing up in Davidson County. "These are scenes that I wanted to paint which are special to me. In doing this poster series I tried to capture something unique and meaningful for the locals."

"Conrad Hinkle"

1991

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    The Conrad Hinkle poster shows Dempsey's Uncle Barney in the store's doorway, as well as long-time proprietor Dwight Hinkle standing outside, both men dressed in their characteristic white aprons. Hinkle is speaking to a regular customer, Mrs. Sam Everhart, whose grocery bag includes as container of pimiento cheese that she regularly ships to an out-of-state relative. 

     .                                          For the rest of the story

 

  1500 poster prints

  Image Size: 17 x 23

  Issue Price: $25  

  Current Price:$275

 

 

"Morning Flight"

1992

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     For the second poster in his "Down Home" series, Dempsey Essick has painted a nostalgic view of the deserted American Children's Home dairy barn which is located on Hwy 47 in Davidson County, North Carolina.

     In the picture a flight of Canadian geese passing over the derelict milking barn intrudes on the stillness of a winter day. The raucous call of the echoes from pristine snow fields and through empty silos and buildings that no longer know the bustle of an active dairy herd. Inside the barn all the milking stanchions are gone now and broken windows in the milk house stare out across fields where cows no longer graze. Birds echoes from pristine snow fields and through empty silos and buildings

 For the rest of the story...

 

  1500 poster prints

  Image Size: 17  x  23

  Issue Price: $35

  Current Price: $400 

  Very hard to get hold of. We know of none available.

 

                      

"Reeds Crossroads"

1994

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   "Reeds Crossroads" depicts the intersection of the old US Highway 64 and NC Hwy 150 in northwestern Davidson County as it appeared before the Temple Groceteria and Farabee's Store closed their doors forever.

    In his painting Dempsey has captured a moment when both stores were at their peak. Mrs. Nancy Temple is pumping gas at the Temple Groceteria while Boyd Parnell fills his tractor at Farabee's. Jack Craver stands in the door passing the time of day with Jim Hunt, who at age 95, still opens his cafe across the corner each day to serve lunch less than a hundred yards from where George Washington had lunch on his post-inaugural tour.

    Dempsey has rendered the colors and details of the scene with the exactness that is his hallmark. Looking into the picture, a viewer feels the soft sunshine and hears the traffic passing by. But the spirit of "Reeds Crossroads" is best expressed in the words of Aubrey Temple who said, "We had friends, not customers."

For the rest of the story...

 

  1500 poster prints

  Image Size: 17  x  23

  Issue Price: $35 

  Current Price: $300

 

                      

"Southern Lunch"

1996

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      For the fourth and final poster in his 'Down Home' series, Dempsey Essick

has chosen the "Southern Lunch", a favorite eating spot in Lexington.

     Herbert Miller Lohr first started serving hot dogs and hamburgers from a small building by the railroad tracks in 1925. He only had a lunch counter and stools in the beginning, and most of his customers worked for the Southern Railroad, so he called his cafe Southern Lunch. 

     The story since 1925 has been one of expansion. First, a few booths were

added. Then as the business grew, Herbert moved across Railroad Street to larger quarters.

For the rest of the story...

 

  900 poster prints                                                          

  Image Size: 17  x  23

  Issue Price:  $25; Available