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Local Artist Gardner Wood presents Gardner MA Mayor Nicholson with Big Chair painting – Has another Patriotic painting hidden underneath!
The Mayor stated, “This was a great surprise today! Thank you to local artist Gardner Wood for stopping by today to donate this painting of the Big Chair to hang in the Mayor’s Office!” Gardner Magazine was able to interview artist Gardner Wood.
About the Artist
Artist Gardner Wood randomly donates his work to area businesses including a local diner in Winchendon. He earns a living by working at Mount Wachusett Community College which is where he says he met Mayor Nicholson while adding a cowboy to another work for the VetTech class at MWCC.
Story of the Big Chair Painting
He utilized various online photos in composing the painting, which is a 16×20 acrylic and took him about 4 hours on a Saturday to complete. But, there’s even a more interesting story behind the painting, it’s not the only one on the canvas. Gardner Wood took an existing painting featuring a nature scene and an eagle and painted over it. So what the Mayor just hung in his office prior to the Memorial Day holiday also honors those who have given their lives for our country, a painting with an American Eagle hidden under a painting of Gardner’s iconic Big Chair. Gardner Wood also states that he usually signs his paintings “G. Wood”, but in this case had to use his full name since it was for the City of Gardner and that’s his first name. Thank you to Gardner Wood.
The Inspiration of the Work
We asked, What inspired you to paint the Big Chair and Gardner Wood responded, ““I work in Gardner, I live in Winchendon, I do have my artwork in a local diner…. I started a personal project… My main goal is I want to randomly donate a painting to local businesses. I’ve already started in Winchendon. That led me to be inspired to do the Chair for the Mayor. I met him and he’s very friendly, very nice. We basically talked about it. …It’s just my personal thing that I’ve taken upon myself to do….He seemed very excited about it.”
First Time’s a Charm
Gardner says this is the first time he’s ever painted the Chair. “I went on the computer and pulled up various different pictures, so I got all the pictures of the Chair. I did it in a Saturday morning for the most part.” “I paint for the people. I don’t paint to make money.” In the diner, I will listen and see what people are looking for. I will randomly give them to children. I enjoy doing it.” Gardner went on to say, “The chair, that painting is very unique for me because of course my name is Gardner Wood and I sign all of my paintings, G. Wood, basically because it’s a long name. But this one I felt I had to, so the bottom of that chair, the painting, I wrote Gardner Wood, my full name.
Hidden Painting
“Actually I can tell you a little bit more about it too. I am a little on the impatient side, maybe that comes with being an artist. I was at my house and I was looking and I didn’t have any 16 by 20s, I didn’t want to do a small one, I wanted to do a big one. So basically I grabbed one of my old paintings. The original painting was basically trees on both sides, and basically an eagle flying. In the painting, the eagle was too small…it was one of my first types of paintings, so I said, ok here’s a 16 by 20, so I painted over it. So if you were to actually xray through that, you’d actually see another painting under it. …That’s what happens when you don’t have a whole pile of good canvas….The painting was ok, but the eagle was too small, then it just worked out good.”
Let us note the historic Gardner Big Chair painting was placed in the Gardner MA Mayor’s office in May 2022. Thank you Gardner Wood for your generosity of time and of spirit.