BURGERS, BEER & BAIT Dan Byrd’s Bait Shop on New Pass Sarasota, Florida circa 1952

“I used to tell my students, ‘With the power of the brush you, the artist, can move mountains.’ Well, in this rendering of Dan Byrd’s bait shop, I moved the New Pass bridge! In fact I left it out completely, removing the structure’s land lock and creating an island.”

“As I sketched the bait shop, the sun was bright but an afternoon thunderstorm was roiling on the horizon. I can’t put into words how rich the atmosphere became in anticipation of the storm, but this painting describes just what I experienced that day.”

“In addition to selling bait and tackle, Dan Byrd’s on New Pass served cold beer and “Byrdie Burgers,” the best hamburgers in town!”

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