I can’t believe that it is already September. Where did summer go?  Where did the last year go!?!  There were plenty of big changes for our family:

• After three years on the road, we moved from our 20’ truck into a house – a real house!
• And that house is in beautiful Wyoming!!!

I retrieved most of our belongings from storage in Florida just in time for the first snow storms in October. Since there is limited access during the winter, we got learn about snowmobiling and I finally was forced to cross-country ski (downhill is my preference).

Bundled in our snow-covered abode, I started chasing art deadlines for the next year and painting, painting, painting for:

• The Teton Raptor Center Pearl Street Bagel show
• Summer art show submissions
• The Wyoming Artist Association conference
• The Jackson Hole Distillery competition

The hard work paid off as I was awarded ribbons in several art categories during the WAA convention, including first place in acrylics for this guy…

The recognition was especially poignant for me because Mr. Jim Wilcox was the judge for the awards. After taking one of his workshops a few years ago, I know Jim to be a tough critic, but fair.

I was also a finalist for the Jackson Hole Distillery bottle competition. It was a quite a thrill to be included with some big-league artists and attend the selection party.

Sprinkled in the schedule were three painting workshops: Susan Rose, Calvin Liang, and Ned Mueller.  There was so much good information stuffed into those brief days.  I want to a quick recap of each one when I get a chance this fall.

Also in the mix was painting with the Teton Plein Air Painters every Tuesday. My wife and I had everyone over to our new home for a paint-out one of the times.  Our neighbors got to see what plein air painting was all about and everyone enjoyed the cookout on a brilliant spring day.

Between all the deadlines and craziness, I taught two art classes for the people in my town. Both were great fun and we are looking forward to more classes next summer.

The last part of summer is here with the Fall Arts Festival in Jackson.  I am pleased to be a showing my new paintings during the Takin’ It to the Streets art show on September 9th.  It’s a one-day show for the locals, but it coincides with the many art activities during the two-week festival.  We hope to see you there!

The end of the year is usually time for a brief pause to reflect and take stock of everything that has transpired.  And what a year it has been!  So much moving around and travelling, my head is still spinning.  Somehow I managed to keep painting…

Thirsty?

I hope you New Year is safe and prosperous!

As the 2015 art season raged on for me, our custom Tiny Truck was being built for us by Bob Murphy of Florida RV Sales and Service. There were a few delays for both of us and the departure date started to slip to the right – later and later.  We had a custom water tank built and the manufacturer had some trouble getting it to Bob on time.  But it was a rather minor obstacle.

Promaster before the refit

Delivery was in early May and my wife and I were like a pair of young children on Christmas Eve. My enthusiasm was dampened only by my skin cancer treatment.

Tiny Truck Reborn!

Here are a few glimpses of our new chariot.  If you want to see many more on the full build, here is the link.  It is glorious!

Inside view…

Bob gives a space demo

Dena and I both had a slew of doctor visits and treatments to finish before our journey really began.

As alluded to in previous posts, I am now a mobile artist – spending time out West and back in the Southeast.  When my wife and I started to consider the logistics, we came upon the idea of a tiny house on wheels, something that was small, but self-sufficient.  The search began for a suitable candidate for our ‘Tiny Truck’…

We spent some time looking at the products that RV companies build as Class B Motorhomes.  The designs available did not meet our needs so we thought about finding a custom builder to get the job done.  My wife spent a lot of time researching and talking to various builders.  She had owned other such vehicles and knew exactly what she wanted.

In early 2015, we scheduled an appointment with a Florida builder after some promising phone conversations. The meeting went well and a contract was soon concluded.  Bob Murphy and his wife, Lois, of Florida RV Sales & Service were the people who understood immediately what we were trying to do.

Before the refit…

In less than two weeks, we located and bought our chassis – a RAM Promaster – and delivered it to Bob for the refit in early February.

Lots of space inside

The refit would take about three months – perfect for us, as the 2015 art season would be over and we could head West for the summer.  Things were all coming together…

Another unpublished entry from last spring…

With the dust settling on my 2015 art show season, there has been little chance to catch my breath. The travel bug has firmly taken hold again it seems.  So I am packing up the wife, kitties, and a few bottles of rum and heading westward.

Monsieur Auggie is ready to go

It’s an idea that has been on our minds for a few years now ever since we camped and painted our way across the west. This endeavor promises to be a much greater adventure.  It will be all work for me as I research future art markets, chase wildlife around, and keep slinging that paint.

Canvases are primed and ready

It won’t be easy, but nothing worthwhile ever is.