A week later, Powell artist Mark McKenna said he and his wife will still look at each other, thinking the same thing, confirming that his weekend of incredible success at Cody’s premier art event of the year, Rendezvous Royale, wasn’t just a daydream. 

“A lot of stars have to align, so when something like that happens, it’s crazy,” he said. “I think I’ll be floating for awhile. It’s been almost a week and I find myself daydreaming about it.”

He was one of two Powell artists who were part of the reason as to why the Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale this year set a new record for sales. For both, the stars aligned. 

McKenna and Laurie Lee both sold their main auction paintings for far above the suggested retail price, while McKenna also won People’s Choice award for the Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale as well as the Quick Draw. 

Lee, who is one of the top veterans of the show — having participated for more more than 40 years — had her best sale ever, with her auction painting going for well over double the asking price. 

“It was pretty exciting,” she said. “In the auction it stalled just above retail, and then in seconds it was above $20,000.”

Lee’s painting “Long Day in the Saddle” a 24x36 oil of a cowboy walking with his dog and horse through the high desert with city lights in the distance, with a retail price of $8,500, sold for $22,500. 

McKenna was the star of the show. His 40x40 painting “Embrace” of two horses together retailed at $16,000 and sold for $40,000. It also won the People’s Choice award for the auction.

The next morning in the Quick Draw his small oil painting of a bison drew enough eyes to be declared that event’s People’s Choice as well.

For the former Cody High School art teacher taking part in the events for only the second time as a professional artist, it was almost beyond belief. 

“Last year, it was great, this year, it was unreal,” he said. “It was almost too much, I just felt overwhelmed with everything. I couldn’t have asked for half of that.”

At the close of the 41st Annual Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale, bidders raised their paddles for more than $1.3 million in artwork between the weekend’s Live Auction and Quick Draw events. 

During Friday night’s Live Auction of the Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale, sales surpassed $1 million for the first time since 2013. 

McKenna’s painting led the way at $24,000 over retail, while Lee’s was one of four others that sold for more than $10,000 above retail. 

Lee said even having been through many auctions in her time as a painter, it’s still a scary experience. 

“I was pretty choked up,” she said. “An auction is always scary for us artists. You wonder if they value it.”

McKenna had the same feeling, as he said he’s also had the experience of having a painting at auction not even reach the reserve price, below which an artist won’t sell it. But he has developed a mantra after going to such big shows as Jackson and Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, prior to Cody. 

“Every painting has a home,” he said. “It’s just getting the right painting in front of the right person at the right time.”

In this case there were a lot of people who thought the painting was right for them, giving McKenna a memorable experience at a show. He’d been trying to get into the show for years, after once being the art teacher nearly across the street and taking students over to the Buffalo Bill Center of the West to see the art. 

He said not getting into the show for years made him try harder, working even more to improve his skills as a painter. For his live auction work, he said he spent 70-80 hours over two weeks painting the scene inside his studio, housed in a renovated grain shed on the family property along the Willwood. He said while working he still makes a point to be there as a husband and father to six children. 

After all that work, he and his wife had a chance to witness people fall in love with his creation.

“When it goes nuts like that one did, I got emotional, I got excited but it was, ‘holy cow this is really happening,’” McKenna said. “You’re putting yourself out there, you’re exposing yourself, this is my raw ability. To have people resonate and accept it can be overwhelming.”