A Taste of Hometown: John Wayne and the Buyer(s)
A Taste of Hometown: John Wayne and the Buyer(s)
A 4-hour Painting "A Taste of Hometown" featuring John Wayne at the Covered Bridges Winery in Winterset Iowa
(60% completed by the time the painting was sold at the reception)
John Wayne is having a drink with the buyer (left) of the painting and the winery owner (right) in Winterset, Iowa.
16 inch x 20 inch
Acrylic on canvas
Year of Creation: September 22, 2024 from 10:00am to 1:00pm (60% completed),
7:30pm to 9:00pm (Added the buyer to the painting, 80% completed)
Location: Paint Madison County Art Contest at the Covered Bridge Winery in Winterset, Iowa
Contest Time: 9:00am to 1:00pm, Sep 22, 2024
Status: Sold at the reception
“A Taste of Hometown” is a painting about a real place and real people, all connected through a shared sense of belonging. In the scene, individuals who had never met in real life come together as if they are enjoying the same moment side by side.
The painting was created during a four-hour plein air contest in Winterset, Iowa. It features John Wayne (center) at Covered Bridges Winery. The winery owner (right) is serving him their best wine, while the buyer of the painting (left)—dressed in a similar style to John Wayne and holding his favorite rusty beer mug—simply wanted to share a drink with his idol inside the artwork.
With a goal to beat the top landscape painters in a plain air contest, I pick this idea out of my three creative ideas. I booked a hotel and set a good afternoon in the John Wayne museum. Like another top Iowa painter said, we never expected we would win nothing but had to count on selling the work to pay for gas. But that "no award" brought me some friendship with other top painters in Iowa.
The painting was about 60% completed with John Wayne and the winery owner during the first stage (10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.). In the first hour (9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.), the winery owner shared stories about John Wayne, as well as details about their wines, bottle designs, and glassware. He then selected a pose behind the bar, embodying the spirit of John Wayne before leaving. His arm appears slightly awkward in the painting due to the angle of the pose and the proportions of the chosen canvas. Since it was easily fixable and not a concern at the time, it was left as it was. As requested, his face was kept recognizable without excessive detail, while more attention was given to the design of the bottle he was holding. The open space behind John Wayne naturally invited a future participant to step in and complete the scene. Since he considered buying the work after it was done, the painting includes the large window, modern bar, details about designed wine bottle and glass, and the owner in impressionist style which he preferred.
Around 5:00 p.m., visitors began flooding the exhibition tent. Many immediately recognized the figures in the painting and happily took selfies in front of it. Other artists photographed the work and commented that painting John Wayne within four hours was a bold choice. “I would never pick this theme in a contest. What if I couldn’t finish it or get it right?” one artist said.
Shortly after the reception began, a retired farmer named Randy walked by. He quickly showed strong interest in purchasing the piece. As he talked about John Wayne, his hands began to shake slightly—he was clearly moved. He loved the idea of being able to “share a drink” with his idol inside the painting. After briefly looking at other works, he returned and was the first to place a “SOLD” tag on the piece, determined that no one else would get it.
“Tell me, how can I get into the painting?” he asked excitedly. He rushed around the winery to borrow a cowboy hat and even recruited a tall visitor to pose with him. He chose his spot on the canvas, selected his outfit, and held up his favorite rusty beer mug. He would have preferred John Wayne to be holding the mug instead but was told that changing such details would require a few more hours of painting adjustments. He also would love to drive a few hours home to get his John Wayne outfit on, but he had to drop that idea.
I wouldn't say it is a work I am satisfied by the time I handed it to the buyer. But it is a good enough 4-hour painting that top painters asked to take selfie by. More importantly, it was obsoletely a perfect painting for Randy. To him, his dream came true--having a drink with his idol who used to be on TV but now having a drink with him on a painting.
A 4-hour Painting "A Taste of Hometown" featuring John Wayne at the Covered Bridges Winery in Winterset Iowa
(60% completed by the time the painting was sold at the reception)
John Wayne is having a drink with the buyer (left) of the painting and the winery owner (right) in Winterset, Iowa.
16 inch x 20 inch
Acrylic on canvas
Year of Creation: September 22, 2024 from 10:00am to 1:00pm (60% completed),
7:30pm to 9:00pm (Added the buyer to the painting, 80% completed)
Location: Paint Madison County Art Contest at the Covered Bridge Winery in Winterset, Iowa
Contest Time: 9:00am to 1:00pm, Sep 22, 2024
Status: Sold at the reception
“A Taste of Hometown” is a painting about a real place and real people, all connected through a shared sense of belonging. In the scene, individuals who had never met in real life come together as if they are enjoying the same moment side by side.
The painting was created during a four-hour plein air contest in Winterset, Iowa. It features John Wayne (center) at Covered Bridges Winery. The winery owner (right) is serving him their best wine, while the buyer of the painting (left)—dressed in a similar style to John Wayne and holding his favorite rusty beer mug—simply wanted to share a drink with his idol inside the artwork.
With a goal to beat the top landscape painters in a plain air contest, I pick this idea out of my three creative ideas. I booked a hotel and set a good afternoon in the John Wayne museum. Like another top Iowa painter said, we never expected we would win nothing but had to count on selling the work to pay for gas. But that "no award" brought me some friendship with other top painters in Iowa.
The painting was about 60% completed with John Wayne and the winery owner during the first stage (10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.). In the first hour (9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.), the winery owner shared stories about John Wayne, as well as details about their wines, bottle designs, and glassware. He then selected a pose behind the bar, embodying the spirit of John Wayne before leaving. His arm appears slightly awkward in the painting due to the angle of the pose and the proportions of the chosen canvas. Since it was easily fixable and not a concern at the time, it was left as it was. As requested, his face was kept recognizable without excessive detail, while more attention was given to the design of the bottle he was holding. The open space behind John Wayne naturally invited a future participant to step in and complete the scene. Since he considered buying the work after it was done, the painting includes the large window, modern bar, details about designed wine bottle and glass, and the owner in impressionist style which he preferred.
Around 5:00 p.m., visitors began flooding the exhibition tent. Many immediately recognized the figures in the painting and happily took selfies in front of it. Other artists photographed the work and commented that painting John Wayne within four hours was a bold choice. “I would never pick this theme in a contest. What if I couldn’t finish it or get it right?” one artist said.
Shortly after the reception began, a retired farmer named Randy walked by. He quickly showed strong interest in purchasing the piece. As he talked about John Wayne, his hands began to shake slightly—he was clearly moved. He loved the idea of being able to “share a drink” with his idol inside the painting. After briefly looking at other works, he returned and was the first to place a “SOLD” tag on the piece, determined that no one else would get it.
“Tell me, how can I get into the painting?” he asked excitedly. He rushed around the winery to borrow a cowboy hat and even recruited a tall visitor to pose with him. He chose his spot on the canvas, selected his outfit, and held up his favorite rusty beer mug. He would have preferred John Wayne to be holding the mug instead but was told that changing such details would require a few more hours of painting adjustments. He also would love to drive a few hours home to get his John Wayne outfit on, but he had to drop that idea.
I wouldn't say it is a work I am satisfied by the time I handed it to the buyer. But it is a good enough 4-hour painting that top painters asked to take selfie by. More importantly, it was obsoletely a perfect painting for Randy. To him, his dream came true--having a drink with his idol who used to be on TV but now having a drink with him on a painting.