Artist's Statement:

I met Ben in January, 1985 after my great friend, Ken Curtis had told him about me. Later that year, the then called, "Pro-Rodeo Hall of Champions" asked me to do a painting of him so they could run a limited edition of prints to sell in their gift shop. (Ben is an inductee).

Well, I did the painting and they ran an edition of 475 signed and numbered prints that Ben and I both signed. They originally sold for $80.oo each, then went to $100.oo each. Instead of paying me royalties, they gave me several prints that I could sell on my own.

I sold several of them at the $100.oo price, until my close friend, the legendary Ben Johnson passed away April 8, 1996. I suspended all sales until after we had his funeral and I could have a chance to collect my thoughts.

I was living in Tucson, AZ. at the time, and I called my friend, Dean Krakel, who was the first Director of the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in Olahoma City and well-known art critic and appraiser. I told him to meet me at a nice bar/restaurant there in Tucson and look at the print and tell me what he thought they were worth. While I was waiting for him a man came over, looked at it and offered me $500.oo for it. I said OK of course, but I told him he couldn't have it until Dean got there to look at it.

I had thought the print would be more valuable because Ben was now deceased, but I was thinking more like $300.oo. I felt guilty because in my mind, the guy overpaid me. I went ahead and took the money because I needed it so badly. Then Dean showed up and I explained to him what that guy paid and how I felt that I might have taken him for $200.oo more than he should have paid. Dean studied the print and told me that the guy more or less took ME! He said "That print is worth at least $1,000.oo if not more."

There's only two left that I know of and I have both of 'em. Then it will be a sold out edition and it's anyone's guess how much they'll be worth on the secondary market.