These works by Louisiana artist, Martin J Benoit focus on his home state, with scenes from other parts of the United States captured during his travels. Most are signed and numbered, limited-edition prints and available hand-colored. In addition, many are available in card sets, as matted calendar scenes, or in miniature ornaments.

Click on an image or a title for a larger view. To place an order, click on the "Order" link.

"At Day's End" * Order

As a tribute to his grandfather, the artist portrays a farm laborer or his way home after a full day's work. Martin's grandfather spent most of his life as a day laborer in the sugar cane fields of South Louisiana. Early on, he earned a dollar a day for his family of a wife and nine children. With a strong work ethic, he was eagerly sought out by the foremen of various plantations. So much so, that over the years he and his family occupied over a dozen plantation quarters, some of the same homes more than once.

He spoke both English and Cajun French, was a sought-after dance partner, and in his younger years it was said that he played the fiddle in dance halls on weekends. A natural intelligence came through in conversation with him. Once, when he and the artist were sitting in a farm shed waiting for a storm to break, the artist asked, "Grandpa, think it'll stop raining?" The reply was, "Always has".
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The ability to concentrate and to use time well is everything.
- Lee Iococca

"At Ease" * Order

Awaiting the next call to service, two tugs stand moored alongside the banks of the mighty Mississippi River, bobbing gently in the swells of a late afternoon.

The first tugboat was built in 1802 by a Scottish engineer and fitted with a Watt steam engine that powered a paddle wheel. By 1850 tugs had substituted screws, or propellers, for paddle wheels and by 1900 diesel power had replaced steam.

Tugboats are used primarily to maneuver large oceangoing ships in the confines of harbors, to move barges on inland waterways, and to tow salvage and dredging equipment. They can be up to 200 feet long with engines producing as much as 3000 horsepower.
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Anyone can sympathize with the sufferings of a friend, but it requires a very fine nature to sympathize with a friend's success.
- Oscar Wilde

"A Nevada Experience" * Order

Nevada is Spanish for "snow covered." The state's name is taken from the nearby Sierra Nevada mountain range. It is the seventh largest state, with most owned by the US government. The territory of Nevada was created in 1861, just after the outbreak of the American Civil War and entered the Union on October 31, 1864, as the 36th state.

Almost all of Nevada lies within the Great Basin region, characterized by numerous mountain ranges. Mountain elevations across the state are from 479 feet to 13,146 feet. Between the ranges are valleys with occasional mesas and buttes. Soil is generally thin and frequently alkaline. Most of Nevada's streams and rivers drain internally into lakes or dry lake beds (playas) and flow only in the spring, as winter snow melts, or after summer rains. Natural lakes are relatively few, with most located in the mountains. Nevada is the driest state in the United States with average annual precipitation from 4 inches to 24 inches Because of its wide range of elevations and climates it has a great diversity of plant and animal life.

Nevada's mining boom began with the discovery of the great silver and gold deposits of the Comstock Lode in 1859. Prospectors poured in by the thousands from around the country. In 20 years, the Comstock yielded gold and silver worth more than $300 million.

Gambling, which had been legal in Nevada since 1869 and was outlawed in 1910, was reinstated in 1931. The legalization of gambling led to growth of the tourism and entertainment industries, which dominate the state's economy.
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Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.
- Theodore Roosevelt

"The Old Smokehouse" * Order

Smoking was a method used in earlier times to preserve foods. It was frequently applied to preserve fish, ham, and sausage. The smoke is obtained by burning hickory or a similar wood under low draft. Preservative action was provided by chemicals in the smoke and by the dehydration that occurs in the smokehouse. Smoking usually is intended to flavor the product as well as to preserve it.
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Despite the success cult, men are most deeply moved not by the reaching of the goal, but by the grandness of the effort involved in getting there.
- Max Leaner

"Silsby Steam Pumper" * Order

The first fire engines, appearing in the 17th century, were tubs carried on runners, long poles, or wheels; water was still supplied to the fire site by bucket brigade. The hand-stitched leather hosepipe of 1672 enabled fire fighters to work closer to the fire without endangering their engines and increase the accuracy of water placement. At about the same time the development of pumping devices made it possible to draw water from rivers and ponds.

In the early 19th century copper rivets replaced the stitching on hoses and cotton- covered rubber hoses were developed around 1870. The steam-pump fire engine, introduced in 1829, was used in many large cities by the 1850s. With the development of the internal-combustion engine, pumpers became motorized. The first pumper using a single engine for pumping and propulsion was manufactured in the United States in 1907. By 1925 the steam pumper had been completely replaced by motorized pumpers.

At the same time, the pumper acquired its main characteristics: a powerful pump that can supply water in a large range of volumes and pressures; several thousand feet of fire hose, with short lengths of large-diameter hose for attachment to hydrants; and a water tank for the initial attack on a fire while fire fighters connect the pump to hydrants, and for areas where no water supply is available. In rural areas, pumpers carry suction hose to draw water from rivers and ponds.
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Man is happy only as he finds a work worth doing -- and does it well.
- E. Merrill Root

"Ballay House at Homeplace" * Order

Similar to the Acadian cottage in structure, the creole cottages in and around New Orleans had a hipped roof covering the basic structure including the veranda. Styles ranged from a single gallery across the front to full-encircling porch. Dormers pierced the roof to provide light in the attic space that was sometimes used as living quarters. A balastrade ranged between supporting columns. Rooms were heated with back-to-back fireplaces.

The gallery was used for recreation, entertaining, and sleeping in the spring and summer. It surrounded the simple, 2-story home and provided a barrier from the heat of summer. The walls were filled with the plentiful mud and moss (bousillage) that acted as an excellent insulating material. Shingles were of cypress and held in place with wooden pegs. No nails were used. The entire frame rested on pillars of brick or wood, protecting the house from frequent flooding.

Evenings rang out with laughter and music as family and friends gathered to review the day's activities, discuss weather, crops, and to reminisce. Lives revolved around the family unit and the home.
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The past cannot be changed. The future is still in your power.
- Hugh White

Card Sets * Order

These 4"x 6" card scenes features images of Martin's most popular scenes. Suitable for framing. Great for quick notes to friends, family and co-workers.