Artist Justin Donaldson painted the not-so-still life in the Oak Park kitchen. (Photo: Oak Park) By Chris Diebel For the past two years, traveling artist Justin Donaldson has racked up many miles on the road and many fans online. He’s traveled the country with his family, documenting the landsc apes, architecture, food and experiences he encounters along the way. And his paintings — in watercolor, gouache and oil — have attracted more than 209,000 Instagram followers and 30,000 YouTube subscribers. The Donaldson family has explored much of the East Coast, from Florida to Maine, as well as destinations including Oregon and Montana’s Glacier National Park. “Most of what I’ve painted in my career has been landscapes, so I might as well go where the beautiful landscapes are,” Donaldson said. This fall, the Donaldsons are heading to Granby, Colorado, about 85 miles northwest of Denver. So it made sense for them to stop in Central Iowa on their way west. They spent two weeks camping in Winterset, using Madison County as a base for exploring the region. While researching local architecture, gardens and food, Donaldson discovered Oak Park. He was drawn to its Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired architecture, edible prairie, impressive kitchen garden and acclaimed food. He was especially intrigued by Oak Park’s Chef’s Table Experience, so he contacted the restaurant about visiting and painting. The team enthusiastically welcomed him, resulting in three original works. The first captured an heirloom tomato salad. Chef Ian Robertson appreciated seeing his culinary creation interpreted through another medium. “As a culinary artist, seeing another type of artist reshape my work is super cool,” Robertson said. Donaldson then spent several hours in Oak Park’s edible prairie, painting the contrast between the structured architecture and the untamed garden. The resulting piece combines watercolor and gouache, a water-based technique known for its opaque, highly pigmented, matte finish. For his final work, Donaldson positioned himself in the kitchen, capturing the energy and movement of a busy restaurant. Rather than depicting individual staff members, he created composite figures inspired by multiple members of the team. “He captured the essence of our crew and their sense of motion,” Robertson said. As Donaldson put it, “It was fun. And it was chaos.” It was his first time painting a busy restaurant kitchen. With just five states left to visit, Donaldson’s journey will soon extend beyond the United States to Sou theast Asia, his native Australia and Europe. Eventually, the family plans to settle down so their children can attend high school. But until then, the world remains both their classroom and Donaldson’s ever-changing canvas. Follow his journey on Instagram and YouTube. Contributing writer Chris Diebel is a public affairs consultant and founding partner of Bubba – Southern Comforts. He has worked with a number of hospitality entities across the metro, including Oak Park. ...read more read less