Winter wins Don Diego Sculpture Award
San Diego County Fair’s Fine Art Show includes the Don Diego Award for a sculpture, and this year the award, which included a $250 cash prize, went to Ramona resident Jason Winter for his sculpture “Whiskey Shooter.”
“I was honored to receive the award. I had no idea that I was going to receive it,” Winter said.
A representative of the county fair notified Winter by telephone that he would be receiving an award and invited him to the awards ceremony. His name was not among the first-place, second-place and third-place recipients in the Sculptures class.
Then came the announcements of special awards, and he learned that he had received the Don Diego Award.
“I was really surprised and not expecting it at all,” he said. “I just wanted some exposure for my artwork.”
The award is named after the late fair ambassador Don Diego. It is the second highest possible award for sculptures, behind Best of Show for the 3-D division, which also includes ceramics and glass art.
“Whiskey Shooter” is a sculpture of a revolver rather than of whiskey shots, although the chambers are capable of holding whiskey bottles. When Winter initially planned to create the sculpture, he intended each of the six chambers to hold a bottle of wine, which would make it attractive for females while the gun was intended to appeal to males.
“I started to put my whiskey in it,” he said. “It will hold any 750 milliliter bottle you put in it.”
“Whiskey Shooter” has the potential to rotate using a 12-volt motor that Winter obtained from an automotive junkyard. The cylinder and trigger of the revolver are made of hollow sheet metal while the hammer is the only part that used solid sheet metal.
The handle is made of parota wood from Mexico and has an abalone inlay on the back.
Winter spent between 40 and 50 hours working on the sculpture.
A friend suggested that Winter enter the sculpture in the fair competition.
“I looked up online what it took,” he said.
The was Winter’s first entry in a county fair art show, but he had won an award in the only other art show he entered. The 1994 Ramona High School graduate took three years of art and two years of ceramics while at Ramona High School.
“I have a pretty good background in the arts,” he said.
He entered a ceramic beer stein in a high school art show and won first place. That award included a scholarship to work with Native American artist Robert Freeman, and Winter learned how to etch metals from Freeman.
Winter, 39, was born in Poway but moved to Ramona when was 1 year old and has lived here since. His family includes two sons and a daughter. He owns J. Winter Designs and has a shop in his home for his professional activity, which is primarily metal work but also includes some carpentry.