Joseph Squires is 72 years old, so it seems a bit incongruous to say he’s new at anything.
However, after his wife Carolyn died four years ago, Squires decided to paint scenes on Route 66 in Missouri, based on his memories of the historic road, according to the Cuba Mural blog.
“My Rt. 66 series of art is a nostalgic ride back in time,” states Squires. “Some of the best memories I have are our teenage years together.” Carolyn’s dad was a baker by trade, and he and his family moved back to St. Louis from Sullivan, MO in 1954.
This is when Squires met Carolyn. Her family kept their farm near Sullivan and traveled there on weekends. “Carol and I spent a lot of time driving out to visit, doing some sight seeing along the road, then driving back to St. Louis on old Rt. 66,” reflects Squires. He sees his art as his memories brought to life.
Squires has produced paintings with the Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba, Mo., and the now-closed Red Cedar Inn in Pacific, Mo. He aims to produce more Route 66-inspired works in the future. He’s going to set up a store to sell his prints and artwork at eBay and a separate Web site.
Squires sells 18-by-12-inch prints and 5 1/2-by-8 1/2-inch art cards. A portion of the proceeds goes to the Americna Heart and Stroke Association in memory of his late wife. Squires can be contacted at 314-473-5499 or e-mailing squires.j(at)sbcglobal(dot)net.