boots on the side of a building in downtown Lubbock that, at the time, housed Lonesome Dove, a dancehall and live-music venue. “A guy was on vacation from Kansas City when I was painting those boots on the Lonesome Dove,â€? Thomasson reminisces. “He saw me, he pulled in there and asked me who the artist was that was painting those boots. I told him ’I was,’ and he asked if I would go to Kansas City and paint him a mural, so I did.â€? To date Thomasson has painted murals for chain restaurants from Abuelo’s and On the Border to Chili’s and Chimy’s; it’s easier for him to list the states he hasn’t been to than the ones he has. Taking on these jobs didn’t come without their fair share of challenges though. Thomasson initially had a fear of heights and his job would sometimes require him to be dangerously high on the side of a building painting. “We rented a cherry picker,â€? said Thomasson. “I was just going to get the feel of it, so I went up a little bit and didn’t really like it—it was 40 feet to the top. So I went home for lunch and told my wife, ’I’ve got to either get over this fear of heights or just not do this job.’â€? Thomasson went back after lunch eager, conquered his fear and climbed the 40 feet to the top. He couldn’t convince one of his employees to let his fear of heights go though. Â?9G WGRG HOĂşNH TO RCPPGL OÇ— TIG Ç–CEG OÇ– TIG DUĂşLFĂşNH FOWN to where we needed to work,â€? Thomasson says, chuckling. “The guy asked, ’Do they have a restroom in the building?’ so I took him back down there to show him where it was, and I’ve never seen him since.â€? 'VGN TIOUHI IGLP WCS ICRF TO Ç›NF 6IOMCSSON EONTĂşNUGF TO paint murals throughout the years, and it proved to be a steady source of income. When the economy crashed in 2008 however, restaurants basically quit building. It was then that Thomasson got back into painting pictures and portraits that now lend DGCUTY CNF CPPGCL TO TIG WCLLS OÇ– IĂşS STUFĂşO OÇ— 9OOFROW 4OCF in Lubbock. Now, Thomasson is focusing on getting his art into galleries where it will be available to a larger audience. “I’ve gotten back into painting paintings, which I haven’t done in years,â€? Thomasson said. “It’s been nice to get back to it.â€? No matter what avenue Thomasson chooses to travel, whether it be murals or portraits, what started as a humble beginning has turned into a lucrative career—and a fascinating story of happenstance that began in Lubbock. “It all started when a guy came to buy windows and doors from me when I was tearing down a building as a contractor,â€? Thomasson says. “I don’t even know why I thought of it, but my Ç›RST ĂşFGC WCS Â?+ WOULFNÂ?T FO ĂşT TICT WCY + WOULF PCĂşNT TIGM ON there and the rest is history.’â€?
John Russell Thomasson and Elizabeth Cavin Thomasson at home.
S E PT/ O CT 2013
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