Surprising but not shocking.
That's how the artist who painted former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura's official Capitol portrait describes the much-anticipated work.
"This is a dignified, loving portrait of a statesman," said Steven Cepello, a k a Steve Strong, a k a the California Terminator. A tag-team partner of Ventura's in the late 1970s, Cepello was smearing paint on canvas in his spare time, even as he did the same to opponents in the ring.
The portrait contains some references to Ventura's wrestling career, his marriage and family, and his time as a Navy frogman. But Cepello didn't detail which aspects of Ventura are portrayed in what way but Cepello assured: "He is not on a diving board, no sleeves are ripped out and he's not in a pink boa."
Although the painting has arrived at the Minnesota Historical Society, it's hidden in storage until its fall unveiling.
The 36-by-48-inch portrait has a gilt, hand-carved frame, which marries nearly perfectly to the painting, Cepello said. It's a three-quarter pose.
In 2001, Cepello used a Las Vegas wrestlers' conference to unveil a portrait of Ventura designed to hang in the Governor's Residence. In that image, Ventura is wearing a suit of armor, sitting on a white horse and holding an American flag.