HULETT — Bob Coronato already has one thought-provoking portrait in the Smithsonian. It features Native American activist Russell Means wrapped in an upside-down flag, the international signal of distress.
Now, after a long hiatus, the Wyoming artist is angling to paint another historical portrait that he believes could one day join the one of Means in the storied museum’s collection.
He hopes to do a presidential portrait of Donald Trump — if the Republican nominee wins the 2024 presidential campaign.
“I’m known for painting historical figures,” Coronato told Cowboy State Daily. “And a portrait of Trump would definitely be a historical figure, regardless of your politics. Just like Russell Means, it would be as historic as it can get. I can’t think of a more historic person right now.”
Coronato is thus in the midst of a little campaign of his own this presidential election year.
He’s painted six Trump campaign posters, one of which he’s hoping to show to Trump when he appears in Jackson for a private fundraiser this weekend.
If the reaction of those attending the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is any indication, Coronato is onto something.
He had one of the 5-foot-wide paintings on display in his store, Rogue’s Gallery, and it was all the rage Wednesday during the Hulett Ham and Jam.
Flocks of Sturgis rallygoers visiting Hulett were crowding in Coronato’s store to look at the unique historical Western treasures it’s taken him a lifetime to acquire. But the showstopper was the new painting.
It shows Trump riding on a patriotic train, with the slogan, “Back on Track,” underneath the main image, and “Trump Train USA” above it.
“The reaction I’m getting here is everyone’s going crazy for this,” Coronato told Cowboy State Daily, shaking his head in disbelief. “It’s stopping people in their tracks. I mean, they just stop dead and they’re like ‘OMG, that’s the best thing I’ve ever seen. You need to see this. Trump needs to see this.’ And then they’re getting in front of it to take pictures of themselves with it.”
‘Faster Than A Speeding Bullet’
Coronato had his newest painting screened onto around 2,000 T-shirts for the Sturgis rally, currently underway. Some of those were distributed to gas stations across seven states, as well as at the rally itself, and some were sold directly from his shop.
The gas station T-shirts sold out within a couple of days, Coronato said. But they also sold out quickly in his shop. In fact, they sold out even faster than the free pork dinner that’s so central to the Hulett Ham and Jam event.
Free pork starts at noon on Wednesday, and is usually all gone before 3 p.m., but Coronatowas selling his last Trump Train T-shirt that day at 10 minutes after noon.
Just as Coronato was handing that last “Trump Train” T-shirt to an enthusiastic Trump fan, his brother Tom came strolling into the store to tell Coronato that his shirt had just made national television that morning.
A woman proudly wearing her “Trump Train” shirt was spotted on a “Fox & Friends” clip, where Trump answered a few questions from Sturgis rallygoers.
In the video, Trump promised to attend the rally’s 85th anniversary next year, drawing loud cheers from an enthusiastic crowd.
The woman in the video was in the very front row. Her shirt and her smiling face frequently flashed on screen throughout the 7-minute, 34-second clip.
Coronato gave all of his T-shirts an extra little tagline the painting lacks, which may be part of the popularity. It says, “Faster than a speeding bullet,” referring to the failed assassination attempt on Trump in Pennsylvania last month.
“The assassination attempt hadn’t happened yet, so it’s not part of the painting,” Coronato explained. “But I will put it on any future versions.”
Coronato has six giant-sized paintings of his campaign poster waiting in the wings, each with a different slogan.
In addition to “Back on Track,” there’s “That’s the Ticket,” “Get on Board,” “Full Speed Ahead,” “America First Again” and “America Great Again.”
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One of the six campaign posters Bob Coronato has recently created. (Renee Jean, Cowboy State Daily) -
Bob Coronato hands off his last Trump Train T-shirt during the Hulett Ham and Jam, 10 minutes after noon. (Renee Jean, Cowboy State Daily) -
Bob Coronato holds up a poster of himself with 2024 presidential candidate, Donald Trump, taken in Vegas. (Renee Jean, Cowboy State Daily) -
Bob Coronato fills out a sales ticket at his store, Rogue’s Gallery, in Hulett. (Renee Jean, Cowboy State Daily)
Turning A Corner
One of the reasons Coronato wants to do a portrait of Trump is history, but the other is personal admiration.
“I always say I wouldn’t screw it up,” Coronato said. “There are a lot of artists who would take the job and then do something like put hidden messages in the portrait. That’s happened before. But I would take it very seriously, because he’s been one of the best presidents in my lifetime. So, I would be honored to do it.”
Coronato hasn’t been painting for the last seven years, he told Cowboy State Daily. Mainly because he felt his hands weren’t steady enough to do the work to his exacting standards.
“We all want the country to get back on track,” Coronato said. “So, I finally got past this, and I think this might have pulled me out of that for good.”
The painting style Coronato used for his newest work is what’s known as Pittura Di Strati. The literal translation is “picture of layers.” It refers to layering different media, in this case, acrylic, oil and silk screen.
Coronato has used this approach often over the years, particularly on his well-known and highly collectible rodeo posters. It allows him to alter future images with different slogans or new additions — particularly useful for something like a rodeo or campaign poster.
Millions Of Campaign Dollars
His Pittura Di Strati paintings can take as many as six months continuous work to do, Coronato said, and that’s one reason he doesn’t do as many of them anymore.
“The idea of being locked in my house for six months is not as fun as when I was in my 20s,” he told Cowboy State Daily with a laugh.
But, after completing the Trump paintings in a record 2 ½ months, Coronato has a few ideas to streamline his approach. He’s also got an idea for a rodeo poster painting that he might do for the College National Finals Rodeo.
“I’ve been promising for years to do another rodeo poster,” he said. “And I think I’m about ready to do that. I did get asked to do one for the NFR, and I probably will.”
In the meantime, Coronato is focused on the current paintings, which he believes could help Trump with campaign fundraising.
“All the T-shirts and metal tins we sold were scattered throughout the Midwest in seven different states, and they sold out in a couple days,” Coronato said. “That’s just grazing off a little piece of the pie. If the Trump campaign were to do this themselves, you’re talking millions of dollars in terms of campaign finance. They could blast out a tweet and it would go coast to coast. I can’t do that.”
Whether the Trump campaign ultimately likes Coronato’s poster idea, the artist feels he’s turned a corner with his work and done one of his finest paintings yet.
“It’s like the ‘I Want You’ Uncle Sam posters. I think it’s that good,” he said. Pointing at the darkness spilling out over the track, he added, “I’ve even got the shadow right here, so it looks like this is coming right at you, off the page.”
Contact Renee Jean at renee@cowboystatedaily.com
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Hulett, Wyoming, artist Bob Coronato’s painting “Trump Train” was prominently shown worn by a Sturgis rallygoer Aug. 7 during a segment on Fox News. Reporter Lawrence Jones was taking questions from South Dakota voters for former President Trump live on “Fox & Friends.” (via Foxnews.com) -
Hulett, Wyoming, artist Bob Coronato’s painting “Trump Train” was prominently shown worn by a Sturgis rallygoer Aug. 7 during a segment on Fox News. Reporter Lawrence Jones was taking questions from South Dakota voters for former President Trump live on “Fox & Friends.” (via Foxnews.com)
Renée Jean can be reached at renee@cowboystatedaily.com.
