Elway Couldn’t “Get ‘Er Done”; Bid for Painting a Miss

The Great Falls Tribune, a newspaper covering north central Montana, reports today that Super Bowl great, John Elway, attended the C.M. Russell Art Auction in Montana on Saturday night.

Elway was the “losing bidder” of a large oil painting by Andy Thomas (pictured right) titled, "Charlie Russell and his Characters," according to the Tribune. This piece, which received the Jurors’ Best of Show award, depicted Russell displaying one of his paintings at a bar. It sold to a Montana Gallery for $180,000, the highest price ever paid at a C.M. Russell Art Auction for a piece by an artist other than Russell.

Elway is quoted in the Tribune as saying, "We were hoping to get it. We went as far as we could go. It got to the point where we couldn't get 'er done." (DCN can’t help but wonder who “we” refers to).

Thomas, whose western painting caught the eye of Denver’s beloved QB, was surprised to learn that Elway bid on his artwork. He said to the Tribune, “I think John Elway is the best quarterback ever.”

It sounds like this (now) wealthy Western artist even knows a thing or two about wealthy Western football players.

Source: http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080316/NEWS01/803160303/1002

Picture source: http://www.andythomas.com/