Lewis Bridges

Author, Gearhead, Redneck

Memoirs of a Redneck Gearhead, The Artist

Nancy Bell Bridges, Wife, Artist, Supermom, THE NANA, and Muse. Nancy is an inspiration to everyone in her family. She created the artwork in the book Redneck Gearhead and has filled her house, the houses of her children and the offices of her children with her work in what they call the "remote galleries". Her specialty is abstract realism in watercolor. Her unique style combines the down home charm of Redneck Gearhead with the sophisticated creativity of a world travelling connoisseur.

Memoirs of a Redneck Gearhead is available for purchase or you may download a sample chapter for preview Sample Chapter


7"x10" Print $7.50 + $2.50 s/h	Weekend Red Neck - I bought the 1950 Ford pick up shown in this picture in 1978. The truck was originally green, and my hair was originally light brown both as shown in this 1984 picture. The truck ended up red and my hair turned white. 24 years will do a lot to a person. Those of you that are familiar with these pick ups will know that you should see a windshield wiper when looking through the windshield as shown. Nancy was studying art at Virginia Wesleyan College when she did this acrylic painting. When her art professor, Barclay Sheaks, critiqued her picture, he said that the windshield wiper, then shown, was a distraction. Nancy replied that "it was there". To which Sheaks replied, "it shouldn't be there". Nancy removed the wiper and the painting was better for it being gone. Ever since then, whenever an object was there but was a distraction, we said it was a "windshield wiper". Nancy takes photographs to help compose her pictures, but the paintings are not a copy of the photograph. Amongst other things, she removes the wind shield wipers.
7"x10" Print $7.50 + $2.50 s/h	Cotton Picker - Over the years, I heard the story,many times, from my father about the 40 acres of cotton that he and his two younger brothers planted the year after he graduated from high school in about 1927. In the Fall, his two younger brothers went back to school. He was faced with the daunting task of hand picking the entire 40 acres by himself. 1927 was before any machinery was available to pick cotton, it was all hand picked. This picture is him in the middle of that task. It was not only a daunting task, it was impossible. Eventually my grandfather hired some help to pick the cotton. Never the less, the story was told many times. This is my wife Nancy's impression of him alone in that field. Although the Cotton Picker is wearing a hat, when he bends over to pick the cotton, he exposes his neck to the sun and he becomes a red neck. My father left the farm in 1931 and I never had to pick cotton. Regardless, that is my red neck heritage.
7"x10" Print $7.50 + $2.50 s/h	Romancing the GTO In 1967 I bought a new GTO. Except for a few stop light duels, it was a family car and grocery getter. In 1981 our son turned 16 and took over the GTO. We went drag racing. This is Nancy's painting of Chip "Romancing the GTO". He is depicted fine tuning the GTO to get a little more speed out of it. How fast did it go? Buy the book and find out. It was a great adventure and a wonderful way for a father and son to bond.
7"x10" Print $7.50 + $2.50 s/h	Red Neck Philosophers I like pick up trucks with running boards. Neighbors can put their feet on them, lean their their elbows on the pick up bed and philosophy. The fellow on the right is preaching to the choir. All three of us have the same conservative redneck philosophy.
7"x10" Print $7.50 + $2.50 s/h	Pumpkin Man Nancy saw this scene in Highland County, Va. Highland County is in western Va. bordering West Va. It is rural and very beautiful country. This is Nancy's rendition of the "Pumpkin Man" with his home made stake body for his truck.
7"x10" Print $7.50 + $2.50 s/h	Watermelon Man Shortly after WWII, Nancy, her family and neighbors were visited by a vendor with a `39 Chevy panel truck selling fruits and vegetables. The best memories were of the watermelons. That is Nancy in the pigtails with her father. Her mother and younger sister are in the back ground. This is an early example of Nancy's work, about 1970. She had this memory after visiting antique car shows with me.Times were softer and gentler then and this is Nancy's impression of that era.