” I actually got kicked out of the Masters of the American West show at the Gene Autry for this painting.  The Masters Show special advisor at the time, (John Geraghty)  called me and wanted to dictate what I painted and I told him: ” John that’s not what I do, I document things  that I’ve been apart of or seen personally ”
I showed up for the next  Masters show with a 7  foot tall portrait of Russell Means. The painting hung at the show and was the talk of the show. Both Mian Situ and Howard  Terpning told me they were very impressed.
A few weeks later I got another phone call from the special advisor (John)  ” Bob, although I cannot find fault with your brushwork, I find fault with your subject matter ”

Personally, I loved this painting, I spent 6-7 months never leaving a chair to finish it, painting around the clock until the sun came up the next day.  I sat so long, not moving, I actually hurt myself, hardly being able to walk afterwords. So when I got that call  from Geraghty, I did not really care because I felt this was the pinnacle of my life’s work, I finally created a painting with meaning. A few years later when the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery purchased it, I felt like I had maybe in a little way, counted coup on John.”

Bob Coronato