Frostop Restaurant in Ashton

June 2, 2017:

Fremont county has many iconic places. One of my favorites is the Frostop Restaurant in Ashton.  It is easily recognized by its large rotating mug of root beer and the statue of a grizzly bear in the parking lot.  It is not an easy place to paint because it is at the intersection of Main street and Hwy. 20, the road grade is high and it is difficult to find a place that has a good view and is safely away from traffic.

We found our spot in a little landscaped area in front of the elementary school kitty-corner from the Frostop. We had to tread lightly among the flower beds and shrubs but we were able to find our sanctuary in the shade by the Rotary sign welcoming everyone to Ashton. Kara painted in watercolor and used the irises in the foreground as part of her composition.  Bea and I took a more architectural approach and started painting the building.  Bea worked in acylic and I am amazed at how she keeps the paint from drying out. She has been painting a long time and has a few tricks up her sleeve.  I was painting in oil and because of the long covered parking for the drive-in I chose a long horizontal 6 x 12 panel for my composition. A pleasant surprize was that in our paintings the bear statue looks more like a real bear taking a stroll through the parking lot.