The Studio Journal

El Bandito: Why the Brand's Best-Selling Shirt Started With Paint, Not a Marketing Plan

El Bandito: Why the Brand's Best-Selling Shirt ...

Every brand has a piece that takes on a life of its own. For J. Wellington Art Co., that's the El Bandito tee — and it started the same way...

El Bandito: Why the Brand's Best-Selling Shirt ...

Every brand has a piece that takes on a life of its own. For J. Wellington Art Co., that's the El Bandito tee — and it started the same way...

Tethered Souls — oil on canvas by John Wellington

The Hand on the Horse: What Tethered Souls Is R...

Most western paintings are about motion. Tethered Souls isn't. Here's what I was actually chasing when I painted a cowboy and his horse at rest.

The Hand on the Horse: What Tethered Souls Is R...

Most western paintings are about motion. Tethered Souls isn't. Here's what I was actually chasing when I painted a cowboy and his horse at rest.

Afternoon Palms — oil on canvas by John Wellington

Warm Light, Cool Shadows: How Color Temperature...

Pure white doesn't capture sunlight — it flattens it. Here's what color temperature actually means in oil painting, and what I reach for instead when I'm working with California light.

Warm Light, Cool Shadows: How Color Temperature...

Pure white doesn't capture sunlight — it flattens it. Here's what color temperature actually means in oil painting, and what I reach for instead when I'm working with California light.

Tethered Souls — oil painting by John Wellington

Designers Are Done With Gallery Walls. Here's W...

Everyone had a gallery wall for a while. Now they want one painting that actually means something.

Designers Are Done With Gallery Walls. Here's W...

Everyone had a gallery wall for a while. Now they want one painting that actually means something.

Catch of the Day — oil on canvas still life by John Wellington

Catch of the Day: The California Still Life Tha...

There's a reason I keep coming back to simple tables and summer light. This one just happened to have a lobster on it.

Catch of the Day: The California Still Life Tha...

There's a reason I keep coming back to simple tables and summer light. This one just happened to have a lobster on it.

Angus — oil on canvas by John Wellington

Art Basel 2026 Sold Big. Here's What a Working ...

Every June, the art world watches what moves at Basel. I'm usually painting. But the gap between those two worlds is worth talking about.

Art Basel 2026 Sold Big. Here's What a Working ...

Every June, the art world watches what moves at Basel. I'm usually painting. But the gap between those two worlds is worth talking about.