Final elements added. Final layers applied. Final details smoothed. 

And now – flash forward two weeks for the final product: the latest public piece by multitalented local artist Tony Boettjer, better known as The Art of Once. 

“I put a lot of heart and soul into this one. This one will probably be one of my favorites until the day I die,” Boettjer said with a wistful smile. 

Tony says he’s wanted to be an artist since he was a kid, and his first foray into public art was dipping his toes into the world of graffiti in downtown Chicago. That’s where he learned about concepts like color scheme and light – and how to paint on walls.  

“It’s fun for me. Art is very therapeutic for me. It keeps me grounded, level, center-minded,” he reflected. “Being at a wall, I can be immersed in my own world. In all honesty, I don’t know how I do what I do.”  

Now, decades later, he’s still painting on walls – and his latest contribution to small-town Nebraska is a full-size mural on the wall of Schmidt Machine in Fairbury. 

“My initial vision was just a couple of cars painted on the side of the building, I thought that’d be kind of cool. Then Tony took it to a whole ‘nother level, really tied it all together, and turned it into something truly special. It’s a lot more than just a couple of cars painted on the wall,” said Brian Schmidt, the co-owner of the building that now bears the finished piece. 

Fitting for a business that maintains and restores vehicles, Brian’s directive for Tony was to include a couple of classic cars that you might see around Fairbury, including this ‘68 Cougar, which is modeled after Brian’s father’s own prized car. From there, Tony turned that brief concept into a sketch, and turned that sketch into a full mural, one that evokes ‘80s Americana, on a classic Saturday night. 

“Driving through other communities, I’ve seen murals and artwork that other places had and they left a lasting impression on me when I left their town, so I wanted something like that here,” said Schmidt. “I wanted people to drive by our business and remember something – they might not have a clue what we do inside, but they’re going to remember when they drove through this part of Fairbury.” 

The commissioned work contains elements important to all involved: classic cars and the old stoplight that can be found in the main foyer of Schmidt Machine; tiger lilies and monarch butterflies, nods to Tony’s heritage; and smiley faces, cultural references, and other “Easter eggs” the artist included to give every viewer their own unique takeaway. 

“Before, this was just a big empty white wall with nothing on it. Nobody knew what our building looked like or why it looked the way it did. It didn’t mean anything to me before, and now it means an awful lot,” Schmidt said. 

“I’m just happy I was able to create something he’s happy with given that’s it’s his establishment,” Boettjer echoed. “He’s the one waking up in the morning looking at it every day, I’m moving on to the next project. As much as I do love this project, there’s a time where we have to hang up our brush. I’m very thrilled and pleased with the way it came out.” 

And what is that next project? Well, there’s still one large section of white wall on the other side of Schmidt Machine, and both men say that’s where Part 2 of this piece will come into play sometime next year. And in between painting the two halves of Schmidt Machine, he’ll be participating in the Boo Bazaar later this month in Omaha, and then he’ll renew his popular holiday themed paintings on the windows and walls of many businesses across southeast Nebraska. 

It seems fitting that for someone who got his start in art by “decorating” the doors of trains and other property in downtown Chicago, now, decades later, once Tony found a proper outlet for his passion, he’s been able to turn it into a profession.  

“My past is my past and it made me who I am – I'm not going to deny that. That’s life, you know?” ‘Once’ reflected. I’ve always been a black sheep, and I’ve always gone against the grain, so learning how to color, by utilizing spray paint, and other channels, brought me to where I am today. The only thing that got me through depression was my art, so now I create every day. It brings value and contentment to my life. It’s not ironic, it’s more of a blessing.”