Local artist finds inspiration in familiar places, painting beloved local restaurants
LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) — Acadiana is known for many things—its vibrant festivals, rich culture, talented musicians—but ask most people, and they’ll tell you their favorite part of South Louisiana is the food. For one artist, the interesting look of the local restaurants sparked the beginning of a journey that would bring together those that truly love calling Acadiana home.
Ethan Lohr has been a body piercer for 14 years and can usually be found at Kreative Ink Tattoo Studio in Lafayette, but recently has taken up the art of watercolor painting. Last year for Christmas, Lohr watched someone unwrap a watercolor set in a White Elephant game and knew it would be the perfect opportunity to branch out into painting, so he used his turn to steal it. To learn how to paint, he gave himself a challenge.
“I set myself up for success by starting this journey with a challenge to produce 60 paintings in 60 days, knowing I’d fail,” Lohr said. “By doing this, I pushed myself to paint on days I didn’t want to and to consider work finished even if I wasn’t completely happy with it.”
After completing 46 paintings, Lohr found his niche—places that reminded people of home. He started with houses, which led to a request from a customer who wanted a painting of a Popeyes restaurant, a favorite spot of their daughter.
Nearly a year after getting the watercolor set, Lohr has completed paintings of the Lafayette Parish Courthouse, Pop’s Poboys, Mel’s Diner, and many other landmark restaurants around Acadiana.
“I commissioned a painting of the local courthouse for someone in California who’s from here and misses home,” he said. “I also connected with the owner of Pop’s Poboys, who purchased the original painting I did of his restaurant. It’s now displayed in his personal office, which was such a wonderful feeling for me.”
Lohr has shared many of his paintings on the r/Acadiana subreddit, where the response has been overwhelmingly positive. Struggling with self-confidence, Lohr said the community’s support has helped him let go and share his work, flaws and all. “I’ve since learned that those flaws are called character,” he added.
Painting has become a meditative escape for him, a way to step away from the monotony of daily life. For a few hours he can get lost in a different world, where trivial issues and daily stresses do not exist. When he finishes a piece and shares it on social media, the responses help him combat the internal struggle of not being good enough.
“The response my work gets when I post it has helped me see past the flaws and recognize them as style or character in my art,” he said. “I used to feel like I was terrible—maybe I was—but by continuing to paint anyway, I’ve improved and learned not to be embarrassed by imperfections.”
If you want to see his work, Lohr can be found at ArtWalk in downtown Lafayette on the second Saturday of each month. He also has an Etsy store where he sells prints of his hand-painted pieces in various shapes and sizes, including the ones featured in this story. Additionally, he has a 2025 calendar of locations he plans to paint, so keep an eye out for even more places that might remind you of home.
“I learned that the paintings I don’t like the most are sometimes the ones others really enjoy, so it’s always worth sharing them,” he said.