20 Years ago Trip 2000 happened! See story below marking the 20th anniversary!
|
|
Above is a photo of a large decal map....it started out white and empty, then the kids and I would add a decal with each state we visited!
|
|
Hi Folks its' time for a road trip and an art show in Denver! The Cheeseman Park Art Festival is a wonderful event held outdoors with music, wine and beer served in a beautiful park near downtown Denver. I'm taking a short break from my shows in Santa Fe to bring all of my new work up to Denver....I hope you can make it by, and please tell your friends in the area about the show as well! Check out the new acrylic paintings below along with a link to my website!
CHEESEMAN PARK ART FESTIVAL
July 27-28th
Saturday 9-6pm, Sunday 9-5pm
Denver, Colorado
|
|
I have several new
watercolor aspen paintings on my website as well new acrylic paintings, along with several new pieces just framed that I will be showing in Denver!
Here's my link to visit my website:
|
|
Brand new
contemporary paintings completed in fluid acrylic wash on canvas sheet! I'm developing an entire new look and approach with my acrylic painting that emulates my techniques in watercolor , instead of using paper, I am using canvas sheets for very luminous results! And results that capture a feeling of a dreamscape...
The two abstracts are based on my hike exploring the famous Antelope Canyon slot near Page, AZ.
Above paintings are:
Top: MIDNIGHT DREAM 16x48 acrylic, framed 20x52 $2000.
Left: CANYON COLORS 30x20 acrylic, framed 32x22 $1500.
Right: DREAM JOURNEY 20x20 acrylic, framed 22x22 $1100.
Visit the website to see the paintings framed....or I can email or text you photos of my framed paintings at anytime! tw
|
|
Santa Fe Society of Artists Shows
|
|
Wow! What a wonderful and exciting time it has been this season showing my paintings wit my group the Santa Fe Society of Artists. I'm past halfway with the 20 shows I have scheduled with the last ones coming in September. Each weekend I continue to see old friends...sometimes from High School, or from my days in Austin following college. Often its folks that knew me and bought my work when I had my gallery in Taos during the 90's, or more recently folks I knew through my more recent gallery in Ingram, TX while I was living in Kerrville. I mean it literally happens every weekend and it just confirms to me that my move to Santa Fe to re-establish myself back in New Mexico as an artist was so very right! On any given weekend show I am meeting and selling my work to folks from all across America and at times from overseas! Santa Fe continues to be such a magnet for art collectors and for folks just wanting to experience one of the most unique places on Earth! Below is a link to our group to get more acquainted with it....now in it's 38th year!
|
|
~T2K Trip 2000~
looking back 20 years
|
|
Very soon on July 28th it will be the 20 year anniversary of the launch of TRIP 2000!
It had occurred to me recently...so I thought it would be important to highlight and reflect back on one of the most remarkable events of my life, as a person, a dad and as an artist!
For as long as I can recall going all the way back to my college days I had always dreamed and talked about just taking off traveling, camping and painting America! You know....kinda gypsy like:) But how? It wasn't until much later well into my 30's married and living in Taos with my own gallery, a son Rowdy and soon a daughter Rayne that I began to seriously contemplate doing just that....I began to construct a vision....a plan to fulfill a dream! To me at that time I saw a window of opportunity to take a trip with my young family while both kids were young and still at home, before their school years began. The trip and plans fell into place...all manifested by desire and faith! A needed website for my work was launched and even a motorhome offered to me for sale by a wonderful family, clients who learned of my dream one evening over pizza and beer! A solid year or more of planning took place and by the summer of 1999 we were ready to take off....using our 29 ft motorhome and pulling my Jeep Wrangler we visited 48 states on a 13 month trip!
|
That's me....with Rowdy and Rayne, 20 years ago...maybe showing them the map of our trip!
|
|
We made it to the Atlantic coast at Acadia
|
Above: Seeing Cats on Broadway in NYC and apple picking in Massachusetts!
|
Cheers everyone! Boston, Mass
|
Celebrating 40....while camping at Yellowstone
|
Delivering a commission painting to the Gaston Family in Georgia. Barbara and I were school mates growing up in Harlingen and later attending the University of Texas! Hook 'em!
|
Yikes....gators photographed while in Florida....along with a watercolor painting completed below
|
The Haystacks... watercolor from Canon Beach, Oregon!
Below: The Delicate Arch watercolor from Arches National Park!
|
|
As it was in 1999, soon it would be the new century and Y2K
was part of the mix, that and turning 40 soon seemed like good reasons for a grand adventure. I broke the trip into three parts to make it more manageable and also allow us to be home to our cabin outside of Taos for Christmas. The 3 big loop trips allowed us to reach our goal of visiting the lower 48 states, and even Canada twice:)
When we departed Taos that summer, my son Rowdy was 4 1/2, my daughter Rayne was 2 1/2...me well 39!
When we returned after traveling for 13 months we were a wonderfully bonded family, with memories from places you only see in coffee table books:)
Part 1 took us
North and east through the midwest to the Great Lakes and on to New England for Autumn, then South through the Atlantic coast states and Carolinas, before returning for two weeks for Christmas and be home for Y2k in case things did get goofy, which it did not.
Part 2 was a loop
during the Winter months through the southeast across to Florida with a two week visit RV camping in Disney World, and then back to Texas and exploring the Texas Hill Country, which lead us to move there two years later in 2002.
Part 3 was a big loop
covering all the states in the West.
The entire trip lasted 13 months, my little family of four did manage to reach our goal of visiting 48 states, all while I pretty much painted my watercolors each day from campsite picnic table to picnic table across America!
|
Painting the very first sunrise on our trip that Rayne woke us all up to see in Colorado.
|
Working on a watercolor while at Niagra Falls!
|
Rowdy and Rayne...picking out lobster buoys while in Bar Harbor, Maine!
|
Touring Monument Valley Utah
|
Doing some sketches for watercolors while at the Tetons National Park in Wyoming!
|
Seeing Troy Aikman and the Cowboys beat the Giants in NYC with a great friend and collector David Robinov!
|
"Hi Todd, it's Jane!"
This was the note I saw outside my window hanging from a car passing me on the interstate near Atlanta! Jane met me years ago in Taos and had purchased several of my paintings....including the really cool pumpkin painting below that I painted during trip 2000! Totally by happenstance she passed us while we were both driving.....so we pulled over for a great big laugh and a bigger hug!
|
Trick o' Treat watercolor inspired by spending Halloween in Hershey, PA and a pumpkin carving contest!
|
Night Calls a watercolor painted during the trip, purchased by Tony and Olivia Collins in Kansas! Which I am making into a new Giclee print for sale!
|
|
Well...the above images are just a mere glimpse into the travel and the numerous paintings that took place 20 years ago. Saying our trip 20 years ago was a fabulous and memorable trip is a huge understatement! I have often reflected back and completed numerous paintings over the years from my experiences during Trip 2000. I feel very fortunate that I was able to complete the trip, and very thankful I was able to share the experience with the three people that I loved the most. I know it forever cemented the bond I have with both my children.....and ingrained in both Rowdy and Rayne a sense of wonderment for our country and an enormous desire to travel and explore! Looking back....my favorite places were, Stowe VT, the Maine coast and Acadia National Park...the entire Oregon Coast in the West as well Yellowstone in all its enormous wonderment! Still though the best part of the entire trip was seeing family! Family spread across America, aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters and cousins in Iowa, California and South Carolina, Family in South Dakota, Virgina and D.C., and in Texas....friends in Massachusetts and New York and several other places! They are and have always been the fabric of my life, the thread tying my memories together into a blanket of comfort that I will always hold on to dearly:) tw
|
|
The map of Trip 2K which outlined our basic itinerary taking 3 big loops across America, hanged inside the motorhome for the entire trip...I hung onto the map, but let the motorhome go:)
|
|
Twenty years....time to do it again!?
Certainly, that's my hope....soon too. It will be a different kind of trip, retracing the path of before, but at a much slower pace probably spread out over a longer period of time, several years. Allowing me to concentrate on painting America as well as capturing the photographs of the entire experience.....doing it in away that I can still stay busy showing my artwork at events throughout the year....continuing to have an income. Doing so, may postpone my opening of a gallery or larger showroom in Santa Fe? Now Rowdy, my son who is a landscape photographer, says he is all in on Trip 2020....so maybe I can make it happen for he and I....possibly Rayne at times will make some of the trip as well, but the RV may not be big enough:) A revisit of the lower 48 and the priority of somehow figuring out how best to include seeing Hawaii and Alaska too!!! A lot changes and happens in a year or two....but in 20 years, oh my! Both my kids have moved on through college and have become wonderful young people. Unfortunately, or...actually fortunately there is no longer a wife and yes a few pets have come and gone too. I know I am a much more experienced artist as well a pretty good photographer now as well....and more importantly....I have the time!
And time is everything....no guarantee the time will be there in the future, so maybe I'm a little beat up now, but while I still have some 'gas left in the tank', I better get my plan together for a Trip 2000 redo....oh btw, I do still have that Jeep:)
Hugs, Todd
|
|
|
|
ON THE HORIZON ...save these dates!
|
~August through September SFSA
Santa Fe Society of Artists art shows held 1 block west of Santa Fe plaza!
~September 7-8 Septemberfest Showing with Rowdy
in Midland, Texas at the Museum of the Southwest.
~October 4-6, 11-13 Rio Grande Art Festival
during Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, NM...held at Sandia Casino/Resort in the huge white pavilion tent.
~October 18-19th Huffhines Art Trails Showing with Rowdy
in Richardson, TX at Huffhines City Park
~Nov. 29-Dec. 1st Rio Grande Holiday Art Festival
in Albuquerque, NM.
That's right Rowdy and I will be showing together this fall for two shows in Texas!
...more events to be announced later!
|
|
Plan to visit my studio here on your next trip to wonderful Santa Fe....and let your friends know, too!
Call ahead or email me so I can try and plan to not miss your visit! I'm here working most days and have a showroom for my paintings and my son Rowdy's photographs....we are located in the Mid-Town Santa Fe area at Second Street Studios.
WINTERS STUDIO & SHOWROOM
located in Second Street Studios
1807 SECOND STREET #97
SANTA FE, NM. 87505
830-285-1382
|
Look here we are now....20 years later after Trip 2000!
|
|
Friends, thanks for reading along!
Your sincere interest and support of my work and career means everything to me. I hope your summer is and continues to be full of fun and adventure, and blessings with your family. Hope to see you again and soon if our paths can cross....stay in touch! Here's to good health....
Blessings, Todd
|
|
Follow Todd on Instagram!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
