Morro Castle Aground by Tom Austin

In September of 1934 the Morro Castle cruise ship on route back to NY from Havana Cuba had some very mysterious events happen to it. After the captain had dinner in his cabin about 8 miles off shore he died suddenly of an apparent heart attack. Later that night a fire started of questionable origin and the ship was a blaze. When all electricity failed and the engines stopped it drifted until it ran aground on the beach in front of the Asbury Park convention center. Prints are available.

Sea Bright by Tom Austin

I call this painting “Sea Bright” The original concept came from the New Jersey Shore. The bright sky is what kept me interested in finishing this work because I had so much difficulty in doing the water. The “Gaff rigged” sailboats are racing around a small island. Prints are available.

Hudson River Sunset by Tom Austin

“HUDSON RIVER SUNSET” IS A 24”X36” OIL PAINTING ON LINEN. THE LOCATION IS JUST OFF OF THE PALISADES AT FORT LEE, NEW JERSEY. ALTHOUGH THE PAINTING WAS DONE IN 2013, THE SCENE IS SET IN THE 1890’S. THE OCTAGON HOTEL ON THE LEFT WAS CALLED THE “FORT LEE HOTEL”. THE SIDE-WHEEL CRUISER IS THE CLAREMONT AND IT WAS THE PRIVATE YACHT OF A STEAM SHIPPING COMPANY OWNER WHO’S VESSELS RAN A ROUTE UP AND DOWN THE HUDSON IN THE LATE 1800’S.

Jack Cole is known as the FATHER OF JAZZ DANCING, 1912 to 1974. His list of choreographic credits is endless. Gene Kelly, Marilyn Monroe, Jane Russell, Bob Fosse, Gwen Verdon all attribute their success as dancers to Jack Cole. The book Jack Cole Unsung Genius by Glenn Loony goes into limitless detail on his accomplishments in choreographing movies, Broadway shows and entertaining in nightclubs. In 1952 and 53 as a kid of 11 and 12 years old I had the pleasure of meeting Jack Cole at Bill Millers Riviera (see my book, BILL MILLER’S RIVIERA, AMERICAS SHOWPLACE). More to follow on Jack Cole, prints available.

Ramsey New Jersey Train Station

The Ramsey New Jersey train station circa 1895. Back then Ramsey might well have been known to be the strawberry capital of the world. The first railroad line to pass through the town was the Paterson and Ramapo. The locomotive in the picture was manufactured in Paterson. The buildings were recreated based on historic knowledge taking numerous individual photographs and piecing them together to understand what the town looked like back then.

The oxen cart was the typical way strawberries were brought to market. Prints are available through the Ramsey Historical Association or the Artist direct.

The painting was done to memorialize the opening of the Broadway hit show, Jersey Boys. Bob Gaudio, an original member of the Four Seasons, was also an original member of the Royal Teens the group that wrote and recorded the song Short Shorts. I was an original member of that group and therefore an old friend of Bob Gaudio.

The cars depicted in the painting were the first cars owned by the Four Seasons. Check out the License plates, you can see the initials on them. The red and white Ford down the block was my car, and that is the car that Bobby and I wrote Short Shorts in. 14″ x 18″ oil on canvas.

Limited edition autographed prints available upon request. Regular unautographed prints $250.00, note cards (pack of 10 cards with envelopes) and “Seasons Greetings” holiday cards (pack of 10 with envelopes) available for $30.00 per pack plus postage.

“Leaving the Bear Mountain Dock”

Hudson River steamboat with “Iron Steamboat Company”painted on the side. The painting was done in 2010 which depicts an era back in the 1920′s when steamboats took passengers on excursions up and down the Hudson River from lower Manhattan up to West Point and further.

Note: the railroad tunnel on the far shore, these railroad tracks on the eastern shore of the Hudson took the wealthiest from the Poughkeepsie area who controlled Wall Street to work in the morning in their own individual railroad cars.

The Half Moon, 24″ x 36″, oil on canvas. The ship the Half Moon, also spelled “halve maen” by the Dutch, was sponsored by the Dutch East India company in the year 1609. Henry Hudson, an Englishman, captained this vessel as it made its way up the Hudson River to Albany. It is pictured in the fall of 1609 at the north end of what is now Haverstraw Bay. (Note prints available)

Minisceonogo Yacht Club is a club on the Hudson River that was started in 1941. The club is located on Haverstraw Bay north of the Tappan Zee Bridge and south of the Indian Point Power Plant.
Prints on canvas are available to those interested.