Welcome to Pepsi Painter! This site, as you have seen is dedicated to Pepsi-Cola Collectors, drinkers and fans. I want to share my passion with you - collecting and painting Pepsi memorabila and sharing my memorable Pepsi moments with you.
Randy aka. PepsiPainter
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....... and the Last! except for the one below.
The Pepsi Cola Skywriters
Collecting Pepsi Cola - The Single Dot Years
Randy Schwentker PepsiPainter
This site is dedicated to Pepsi-Cola collectors and drinkers. It also tells a bit how I became interested in collecting Pepsi-Cola memorabilia and other things too, along with how I became the "Painter of Pepsi". My apologies to Thomas Kinkaide.
This site also tells a bit how I became interested in collecting Pepsi-Cola memorabilia and other things too, along with how I became the "Painter of Pepsi". My apologies to Thomas Kinkaide.
I was born to collect or at least have one or five hobbies going on at the same time, usually most of the time. What can you say, at least it kept me outta the bars. Funny, since I grew up in one. My family had a restaraunt/tavern that we lived in the back of. It wasn't what you might think either. It was a nice place and it was in the country too. We took in a lot of stray dogs (mostly dropoffs and runaways). Hey, we had plenty of left over food for my temporary pets. The name of the place was the One Hundred Club, named after the highway it was located on. My dad and mom ran it for my grandpa and grandma, who owned the building. They ran a bait business next door out of their basement. Mom and Dad ran it from 1947 to 1960. I was born in 1955 and really never was involved in the business end but I do remember the great food and stealing an occasional candy bar when nobody was looking. This was where I drank my first Pepsi. All I really remember about those times were that by the time I got half way down the soda, my straw was usually so chewed up or soft from the soda that I needed a new one. Did you ever drink a Pepsi soooo fast it came up through your nose? Been there, done that. Well enough of my past, lets move up a few decades. When my parents got out of the restuarant/tavern business, my dad was offered a job at the local Pepsi Cola bottling plant. Since the owner was a patron of the restaurant, they knew each other pretty well. Well, I grew up with their kids in school and Dad worked for them until he retired in 1979. He continued to work for them doing light office cleaning for a few years to come. He became a fixture there just like many before him. That's life in a small town. Well ,gotta keep moving on.........
One of my many hobbies was my gift of being artistic. I always loved to draw, paint, build models etc. With this gift, I was given an eye for detail. I never talked about the following to anyone before, but since I have a couple of Pepsi paintings under my belt now, I can be a good sport about it and share my early roots of drawing Pepsi related "artwork" so to speak. When I was about 8 or 9, I attempted my first "Pepsi" drawing. It was something else, to put it mildly. The new Pepsi Cola Bottling Plant was just built and I was going to capture it for all posterity. Unfortunatly, I didn't plan it very well because I just kept adding and adding more things into the picture than what was really there. And to top it off, it was done in ink with a ball point pen because I didn't have any quality drawing equipment. It wasn't exactly Norman Rockwell quality either. I guess that I was just envisioning what it would look like if Corporate Pepsi had moved to little New Haven, MO back in the early 1960's. This is probably the first that I ever shared this information or shown a picture of it to anyone.
I hate to admit it but I actually did a painting of a Coke bottle in highschool in 1974. I have to admit it wasn't that bad for my first attempt at "pop art". I took a little flack from my friends since this was a "Pepsi town". I entered it into the fine arts division at one of the local fairs and won a blue ribbon. The local Coca Cola distributor offered to buy it from me. I really didn’t want to sell it so I painted another one with more bottles, which was even better. Well I couldn’t part with either one, so I told him I wasn’t interested. Years later when I started to collect Pepsi more seriously, I did a painting for friend of mine. He was the son of the bottler. I was in his wedding party and I had no idea what to get them, I painted a Pepsi bottle ad for them for when ever they built their house. Thinking back, I know now that it sounded pretty lame to give him this but I did give him something original that nobody else could give him. Oh well, it could fill the back of closet just as well as any old toaster could. After I did the painting for him, I decided to do a Pepsi bottle painting for myself too. Below is the infamous Coke bottle from high school, the second one is the one that I did for the Coke distributor and then changed my mind. The next one is the Pepsi bottle I did for my friend's wedding. (Sorry about the lousy picture. I didn't have a good camera back then. Finally the Pepsi bottle I did for myself. Hey, I know they're a bit crude, but I was a lot younger then and I never claimed to be a Leonardo da Vinci. I just paint what I like and enjoy doing it and if someone else enjoys it too, well so be it. Enough said.
I was born to collect or at least have one or five hobbies going on at the same time, usually most of the time. What can you say, at least it kept me outta the bars. Funny, since I grew up in one. My family had a restaraunt/tavern that we lived in the back of. It wasn't what you might think either. It was a nice place and it was in the country too. We took in a lot of stray dogs (mostly dropoffs and runaways). Hey, we had plenty of left over food for my temporary pets. The name of the place was the One Hundred Club, named after the highway it was located on. My dad and mom ran it for my grandpa and grandma, who owned the building. They ran a bait business next door out of their basement. Mom and Dad ran it from 1947 to 1960. I was born in 1955 and really never was involved in the business end but I do remember the great food and stealing an occasional candy bar when nobody was looking. This was where I drank my first Pepsi. All I really remember about those times were that by the time I got half way down the soda, my straw was usually so chewed up or soft from the soda that I needed a new one. Did you ever drink a Pepsi soooo fast it came up through your nose? Been there, done that. Well enough of my past, lets move up a few decades. When my parents got out of the restuarant/tavern business, my dad was offered a job at the local Pepsi Cola bottling plant. Since the owner was a patron of the restaurant, they knew each other pretty well. Well, I grew up with their kids in school and Dad worked for them until he retired in 1979. He continued to work for them doing light office cleaning for a few years to come. He became a fixture there just like many before him. That's life in a small town. Well ,gotta keep moving on.........
One of my many hobbies was my gift of being artistic. I always loved to draw, paint, build models etc. With this gift, I was given an eye for detail. I never talked about the following to anyone before, but since I have a couple of Pepsi paintings under my belt now, I can be a good sport about it and share my early roots of drawing Pepsi related "artwork" so to speak. When I was about 8 or 9, I attempted my first "Pepsi" drawing. It was something else, to put it mildly. The new Pepsi Cola Bottling Plant was just built and I was going to capture it for all posterity. Unfortunatly, I didn't plan it very well because I just kept adding and adding more things into the picture than what was really there. And to top it off, it was done in ink with a ball point pen because I didn't have any quality drawing equipment. It wasn't exactly Norman Rockwell quality either. I guess that I was just envisioning what it would look like if Corporate Pepsi had moved to little New Haven, MO back in the early 1960's. This is probably the first that I ever shared this information or shown a picture of it to anyone.
I hate to admit it but I actually did a painting of a Coke bottle in highschool in 1974. I have to admit it wasn't that bad for my first attempt at "pop art". I took a little flack from my friends since this was a "Pepsi town". I entered it into the fine arts division at one of the local fairs and won a blue ribbon. The local Coca Cola distributor offered to buy it from me. I really didn’t want to sell it so I painted another one with more bottles, which was even better. Well I couldn’t part with either one, so I told him I wasn’t interested. Years later when I started to collect Pepsi more seriously, I did a painting for friend of mine. He was the son of the bottler. I was in his wedding party and I had no idea what to get them, I painted a Pepsi bottle ad for them for when ever they built their house. Thinking back, I know now that it sounded pretty lame to give him this but I did give him something original that nobody else could give him. Oh well, it could fill the back of closet just as well as any old toaster could. After I did the painting for him, I decided to do a Pepsi bottle painting for myself too. Below is the infamous Coke bottle from high school, the second one is the one that I did for the Coke distributor and then changed my mind. The next one is the Pepsi bottle I did for my friend's wedding. (Sorry about the lousy picture. I didn't have a good camera back then. Finally the Pepsi bottle I did for myself. Hey, I know they're a bit crude, but I was a lot younger then and I never claimed to be a Leonardo da Vinci. I just paint what I like and enjoy doing it and if someone else enjoys it too, well so be it. Enough said.
First Attempt at "Pepsi" art
First Coke picture
Second Coke picture
....... and the Last! except for the one below.
Pepsi Bottle Wedding painting
The one I did for myself
Moving on, I tried painting something different. In 1978, being a bottle collector that I was, I collected as many different types of soda bottles, that I could muster from my hometown Pepsi-Cola bottling plant and also from all the major grocery chain stores in St. Louis, MO. A parody of the soda wars known as "Battle For The Crown" was to be depicted as a boxing match with a Pepsi bottle standing in victory over a fallen Coke bottle with his cap (crown) knocked off and his contents are flowing over the matte. Quite graphic huh? Dr. Pepper is the referee and the audience is represented by all the other different brands of soda bottles. The painting obviously dates itself because of the style of the bottles in the painting. One of the benefits of doing this painting was after a bottle model was completed on the painting; I could then drink it. Now I don’t expect the Coca-Cola collectors to appreciate this paintings theme, but remember, I collect Pepsi, not Coke! So if you don’t collect Pepsi, remember , there are 41 other brands of soda in this painting too!
Battle for the Crown
Years later, I became aware of the Pepsi Cola Collectors Club. Over the years, I would paint yearly caps for my friend Bob Stoddard, Club President and founder and the club raffle each year. The prices these hats fetched started out at a modest $25 on up to the final hat that I finished with for the 2006 20th anniverary reaching $800.00. A whole lotta pizzas could be bought for that chunk of change for our Pepsi pizza party.
Taking a step backward momentarily to 1993, the midwest got hit with with a big flood. I was out of work for two weeks during initial cleanup and it got me to do some thinking. I was already anticipating that 1998 would be the 100th anniversary year of Pepsi-Cola. I had to do something. Having somewhat attained the status of becoming the club artist, I decided that for the upcoming 100th anniversary, to do a painting of a collection of Pepsi-Cola memorabilia to share with all Pepsi Collectors. The original painting, started in 1993 was done in acrylic and airbrush and measures 30”x 44”. In the painting all of the objects are very close to full scale and composed in a collage style. No suitable frame could be found, so I had to hand carve a wooden frame large enough to have the “Pepsi-Cola” logo relief carved in the top center of the frame and then allow thirty 1940’s vintage bottle caps to be imbedded throughout the frame. Below the painting is brass plaque in the same electric ice blue color of the new cans of the era and bottle graphics engraved with “Collecting Pepsi-Cola” along with “Commemorating 100 years 1898 to 1998” and “Dedicated to those who collect…..”. The painting was unveiled at the four day celebration held in Greenville and New Bern, North Carolina, in April of 1998. At that event, a friend and host bottler, John Minges, Vice President of Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co. Inc. of Greenville suggested that I issue prints of this painting. He would clear any obstacles as far as legalities were concerned. It also turned out that Bob Stoddard, cleared the path for me with Pepsi’s legal department too.
Taking a step backward momentarily to 1993, the midwest got hit with with a big flood. I was out of work for two weeks during initial cleanup and it got me to do some thinking. I was already anticipating that 1998 would be the 100th anniversary year of Pepsi-Cola. I had to do something. Having somewhat attained the status of becoming the club artist, I decided that for the upcoming 100th anniversary, to do a painting of a collection of Pepsi-Cola memorabilia to share with all Pepsi Collectors. The original painting, started in 1993 was done in acrylic and airbrush and measures 30”x 44”. In the painting all of the objects are very close to full scale and composed in a collage style. No suitable frame could be found, so I had to hand carve a wooden frame large enough to have the “Pepsi-Cola” logo relief carved in the top center of the frame and then allow thirty 1940’s vintage bottle caps to be imbedded throughout the frame. Below the painting is brass plaque in the same electric ice blue color of the new cans of the era and bottle graphics engraved with “Collecting Pepsi-Cola” along with “Commemorating 100 years 1898 to 1998” and “Dedicated to those who collect…..”. The painting was unveiled at the four day celebration held in Greenville and New Bern, North Carolina, in April of 1998. At that event, a friend and host bottler, John Minges, Vice President of Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co. Inc. of Greenville suggested that I issue prints of this painting. He would clear any obstacles as far as legalities were concerned. It also turned out that Bob Stoddard, cleared the path for me with Pepsi’s legal department too.
Collecting Pepsi-Cola
One of my prints was presented to Donald M. Kendall, founder of PepsiCo, from Chad Peterson, who headed up Pepsi Americas of Mandan, North Dakota and is now at Pepsi Americas in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Needless to say, this was quite an honor for me. Chad had become a very good friend and quite a benefactor to me. Chad was responsible for purchasing over 60 prints and distributing them to numerous employees of Pepsi Cola for various awards and retirement gifts, etc. When Chad first saw the original painting in 1998 in New Bern, North Carolina, at the 100th Anniversary Convention, he set a goal on trying to acquire each item in the painting. Luckily, I was able to find a few things for him too.
Donald M. Kendall - Founder of PepsiCo
Since 1998, my prints have been put on display in many private collections and Pepsi Cola bottling plants in almost all 50 states as well as a few countries in Europe. Another print was presented to Steve and Suzanne Oliver, the Pepsi-Cola Skywriters, in 1999, at an aerial stunt show sponsored by the Pepsi Cola Bottling Co of New Haven, MO for the Washington Missouri Town and Country Fair. Two years earlier, a friend from Pepsi told me they were to appear. I told them I had an headline from the local paper from 50 years ago about Pepsi sponsoring the Pepsi skywriter back in 1947. I asked them if they would like a copy and they said they would and then asked me if I would like to ride in their plane. Steve really liked my Pepsi hat I was wearing. Well, as you can see he got the hat and Suzanne got the print and I got a ride in their newest plane. I also did an article about it in the PCCC newsletter.
Suzanne Ashby Oliver and Steve Oliver
The Pepsi Cola Skywriters
Both “Collecting Pepsi-Cola” and “Battle for the Crown” are featured in the one of the latest Pepsi Cola collector’s books titled “Pepsi Memorabilia ... then and now”, written by two good friends and fellow collectors, Phil Dillman and Larry Woestman. If you don't have their book, I suggest you add it to your collection. Oh, by the way, speaking of the Dillman's, if you see Phil at Pepsi Fest, ask him about the Crystal Pepsi painting I did for his mother “Ma”. Unfortunately, Ma’s no longer with us, but I think I can safely say she's up in heaven telling all the other angels about the clean cool angelic taste of Crystal Pepsi. God rest her soul.
Ma Dillman
Recently I finished the sequel painting to "Collecting Pepsi Cola". It commemorates the 25th Anniversary of the Pepsi Cola Collectors Club annual convention "Pepsi Fest" held in Indianapolis every year. Unlike the first painting, in which each item had to have a double dot logo (from the time period of 1898 to 1948), the sequel contains similar items with the single dot logo (from the time period of 1948 to 1963). In addition, the painting is larger in size, 36” by 48”. The frame again was hand-carved and is similar in appearance to its predecessor, using the appropriate logos including 50 single dot Pepsi bottle caps along with 4 miniature Pepsi caps located around the nameplate. The frame size is approximately 4 ' by 5'. It's too big to hang up so I had to make custom easels for the both paintings to display at the convention. It was worth it though. The reception I got was worth the seven years to paint it. That's a story in inself.
This painting has been printed under the authority of the Pepsi Cola Bottling Company of New Haven, MO. As I mentioned earlier, my father worked for them until he retired, I grew up with the owner's children, who now run the company and who I still consider friends and hold a great deal of respect for. Not only because they have supported my hobby but for what they do for the community. The Hebbeler- Zobrist Family deserve a lot of credit for what they put back into the New Haven and surrounding areas and this is just a small way of saying "thank you".
I always try to personalize my paintings with small acknowledgements to my Pepsi Bottling Friends. In my lastest painting, Pepsi Cola of New Haven, MO, Pepsi Cola of Columbia MO, Pepsi Cola of Memphis, MO, Pepsi Cola of Cedar Rapids,IA, Carrollton Beverages of Carrollton, IL, Pepsi Cola of New Bern, NC, Pepsi Cola General Bottlers of St. Louis, MO are all represented in some small way.
Now I'm not sure that it is going to happen or not but a CNBC news crew was at the convention doing a piece on the Pepsi Cola Company and its history which will include the collectors point of view on the company and it's product. They were there for two days and I just happened to bump into the crew chief in the elevator (not knowing who he was at the time). I was hanging up flyers showing pictures of the painting and he asked if he could come up and see them later. I told him the room was open to whoever wanted to see them, (you know room hopping and all that). I told him I didn't even care if he was a Coke collector if he didn't mind me trying to convert him. He laughed. I later saw him with his crew and realized who he was. Well they interviewed a lot of people that day and at about 10:30 that night he showed up with his camera man and took extensive footage all three paintings. After a half hour interview with me, they wound it up about 12:30 that night. Needless to say, it wasn't the caffeine in the soda that kept me up that night but the adrenaline rush. Now that I am back home and down to earth after that weekend, I realize that I will probably end up on the cutting room floor. I had my fifteen minutes of fame even if nobody will probably even see it. The documentary is to be broadcast on CNBC, November 10th, 2011 at 8:00 pm Central Time. Still crossing my fingers though. Below is a picture of it. I hope you like it.
This painting has been printed under the authority of the Pepsi Cola Bottling Company of New Haven, MO. As I mentioned earlier, my father worked for them until he retired, I grew up with the owner's children, who now run the company and who I still consider friends and hold a great deal of respect for. Not only because they have supported my hobby but for what they do for the community. The Hebbeler- Zobrist Family deserve a lot of credit for what they put back into the New Haven and surrounding areas and this is just a small way of saying "thank you".
I always try to personalize my paintings with small acknowledgements to my Pepsi Bottling Friends. In my lastest painting, Pepsi Cola of New Haven, MO, Pepsi Cola of Columbia MO, Pepsi Cola of Memphis, MO, Pepsi Cola of Cedar Rapids,IA, Carrollton Beverages of Carrollton, IL, Pepsi Cola of New Bern, NC, Pepsi Cola General Bottlers of St. Louis, MO are all represented in some small way.
Now I'm not sure that it is going to happen or not but a CNBC news crew was at the convention doing a piece on the Pepsi Cola Company and its history which will include the collectors point of view on the company and it's product. They were there for two days and I just happened to bump into the crew chief in the elevator (not knowing who he was at the time). I was hanging up flyers showing pictures of the painting and he asked if he could come up and see them later. I told him the room was open to whoever wanted to see them, (you know room hopping and all that). I told him I didn't even care if he was a Coke collector if he didn't mind me trying to convert him. He laughed. I later saw him with his crew and realized who he was. Well they interviewed a lot of people that day and at about 10:30 that night he showed up with his camera man and took extensive footage all three paintings. After a half hour interview with me, they wound it up about 12:30 that night. Needless to say, it wasn't the caffeine in the soda that kept me up that night but the adrenaline rush. Now that I am back home and down to earth after that weekend, I realize that I will probably end up on the cutting room floor. I had my fifteen minutes of fame even if nobody will probably even see it. The documentary is to be broadcast on CNBC, November 10th, 2011 at 8:00 pm Central Time. Still crossing my fingers though. Below is a picture of it. I hope you like it.
Collecting Pepsi Cola - The Single Dot Years
Collecting Pepsi Cola - The Single Dot Years
Some of the hats I have done over the years.
Below are pictures of some of the hats I did for the club over the years. I wish I had pictures of all of them, but whoduknown. I really never thought they would have had the effect they did.
Early hats with Pepsi Fest logos
More hats
First and last hat
Presenting a 25th Anniversary print to Bob Stoddard - Founder of the PCCC
Here is a picture of myself presenting one of my prints to Bob Stoddard. Bob founded the Pepsi Cola Collectors Club twenty five years ago in California with just a handful of other collectors. See what it has grown to. I have considered Bob a friend in Pepsi and in life. Thanks for the Pepsi memories Bob. I was asked by Phil Dillman - current Pepsi Cola Collectors Club board member, to do a caricature of Bob for the 25th Anniversary celebration. This is what I came up with. Bob with Pepsi and Pete (the Pepsi Cola Cops) deciding that after 25 years, it was time to have a Pepsi together.
Presenting a print to Bob
Bob with Pepsi and Pete immortalized as a cartoon
Then and Now
Behind every Pepsi Collector is a wonderful wife who is almost as enthusiatic about your collection as you are. My wife Debbie came with me to our first Pepsi-Fest in 1998 while we were expecting our first child. She missed a few years due to staying home with the kids when they were young or because of school conflicts. I was able to bring her and the kids a few years until they got older. Both of our kids are or have been Pepsi -Cola collectors to some degree. (OK, maybe not as much as I'd like them to be but I'll take what I can get.) My wife is always looking out for neat Pepsi things for me. Thanks Babe. I do appreciate it and for putting up with my hobby.
Then and now
One last thing, I would personally like to thank each and everyone who have purchased my prints. I am very privileged and greatly honored that you think that much of my work that you would have it hanging in your home collection or office.
I'll add more in the future when I have more to talk about and and let you know if there are any new paintings on the horizon. Have a Pepsi Day!
Randy Schwentker
Pepsi Painter
Please contact the Pepsi Cola Collectors website at http://www.pepsicolacollectorsclub.com/
For individual or multiple price quotes and availability on print sales, please contact me at randydeb@fidnet.com Thank you.
I'll add more in the future when I have more to talk about and and let you know if there are any new paintings on the horizon. Have a Pepsi Day!
Randy Schwentker
Pepsi Painter
Please contact the Pepsi Cola Collectors website at http://www.pepsicolacollectorsclub.com/
For individual or multiple price quotes and availability on print sales, please contact me at randydeb@fidnet.com Thank you.