Book excerpt: This coffee table book features more than one hundred sixty paintings, vignettes, and portraits by the Jersey Shore's premier, neo-primitive folk artist, Dick LaBonte. Here are all of LaBonte's nostalgic paintings of turn-of-the-century and present day life at the Jersey Shore featuring Bay Head, Mantoloking, Point Pleasant Beach, Barnegat Bay, Spring Lake, Sea Girt, Manasquan, Sea Bright, and more locations--plus many other scenes taking place in America or the artist's imagination. Fans who have seen only a few of LaBonte's paintings in the past will be amazed at the scope of his body of work presented in this book and realize all the beauty and fun they've been missing! Charming and informative descriptions of each image by the artist, a biography, plus a foreword and introduction to the paintings will further your understanding of LaBonte's art and life. LaBonte's text is also rich with historical facts about the Jeresy Shore and the locations he paints.