8 Paintings dropped to hunt....
Hello once again my lovely
PonderMonster treasure hunters! I'm not one for disclaimers, however... It's
understandable that not everyone is a Dave Matthews fan. It can be a heated,
highly opinionated and polarizing topic of discussion, but I ask you to have an
open mind and enjoy this wonderful adventure because I certainly did. If this
is something you don't wish to read, then do move on there are others to come. If you have anything
negative to say, keep it to yourself because these people are my family, so
back off! :)
That being said, I love you all, and am looking forward to making
paintings for you all to find indefinitely into the future.
Now, on to the story of this amazing
adventure complete with a marriage proposal by yours truly. To the Gorge!
For those of you that
have never been,
the Gorge Amphitheatre is located in Washington state. George,
Washington to be
exact. It lives on the high plains between Seattle and Spokane, and
rests atop the canyon wall high above the Columbia River. It definitely
rivals Red Rocks amphitheatre, and being from Colorado, that's saying a
lot. It's not better, it's just different and equally amazing! For one
to see a show out there, dedication and determination are a must. If you
don't like to camp, then there aren't that many other options for you.
You have to camp. And if you're going to do so, I recommend Wildhorse
Campground.
Wildhorse Campground
is run by the best people ever that feel like family to all who visit.
Complete with hot showers in the open air, hot food until the wee hours
of the night, Honey Buckets that are cleaned twice a day, and blanketed
with safety and a friendly environment, this place is top notch to say
the least.
First off, let's start with a video. This is the video of my marriage proposal at the Gorge, and you can read all about the details HERE. Paintings played a roll, but made things crazier than planned.
The paintings for this years' Labor Dave Weekend were inspired by a five songs, "Halloween", "Pig", "You and Me", "Little Red Bird", and "Say Goodbye". These were hidden through out the 5 days I was there.
The letters.
The letters.
Then realizing I should attempt something with an ever popular Fire Dancer, the PonderDanceFireMonster was created. These were hidden during the shows inside the venue!
So much excitement was built up for all of these paintings, and the hunters were ready to snatch up these babies. However, the human social experiment continues as most of these disappeared in the most random and lengthy times. Some found within minutes, others thrown away and found, given to lost and found and discovered, and some sat for nearly 6 days before being found. Definitely learned loads on this treasure hunt.
A closer look:
"You & Me" - "Pack your bags, something small... all the way to the end of the world."
"Halloween" - "Love is Hell."
"Pig" - "Don't burn the day (pig)."
"Little Red Bird" - "But don't you see daddy... how good I am at catching crumbs?"
"Say Goodbye" - "Tonight let's be lovers... tomorrow go back to being friends."
1) YOU & ME - Painting #1 of 8 was hidden on the post of a sign at mile marker 149. The 149 EXIT sign to the Gorge.
"#PondermonsterDMBcollection painting #1 of 8 is up for grabs! For all you wonderful Gorge earlybirds who packed your bag, something small... this clue be easy: 149. Come get me"
Thought this one would be swooped up the fastest, because everyone pulls over to take a picture with these signs. Nope. 6 days. It spent 6 freakin' days in the same spot. Given, it fell down once, BUT stayed there for SIX DAYS!!!!!! Constantly getting messages of people wanting this so badly, yet no one took the time to go get it. Also, nobody realized that there is a 149 EXIT sign coming from both directions... sigh. Bad start, but this one ended quite sweetly.
Congratulations to Matt Gentry for sticking with it and leaving with this piece on the last possible day!
2) HALLOWEEN - Painting #2 of 8 was hidden on an empty post at the Vantage overlook exit.
"#PondermonsterDMBcollection painting #2 of 8 is up to hunt and take! Just remember to take in all the sights while you're here at the Gorge. From the Gorge head towards Vantage, scenic overlook. Much love, #Halloween."
This too sat for a few days, but was later found by a true adventurer. Congratulations @shelgirldmb and @coreyshade for finding this one, and also an upcoming PonderDancerFireMonster!
3) PIG - Painting #3 of 8 was hidden on the Wildhorse Campground '1 mile ahead' sign.
"#PondermonsterDMBcollection painting #3 of 8, #PIG, is up for grabs! Get off your buns and go get it. Time's wasting, #Dontburntheday. To my knowledge, first two paintings are STILL FREAKIN AVAILABLE!"
Quickly swooped up by the mad hunter Matt, who will be a force to be recon with in future hunts, so be on your game next year people!
4) PONDERDANCERFIREMONSTER No. 1 (PROPOSAL NIGHT) - Painting #4 of 8 was hidden during the show night one. Placed near the exit of the venue during Satellite. The perfectly long song to go do the deed. This was so much fun to do, and I can't wait to do it during every show I go to. It felt like it was part of the show experience. People at the show were not only enjoying the music, but constantly checking Instagram to see if the painting has bee dropped.
5) LITTLE RED BIRD - Painting #5 of 8 was hidden in Wildhorse Campground in the horseshoes sand pit.
This one has a short story... After planting this one, within seconds, a little girl (maybe 7 years old) picked it up before I could fully walk away. She said "Excuse me, is this yours?" I turned around and had to do some quick thinking. A little bird was truly standing before me and I thought it would be perfect for her to keep. So I said, "Nope. It's yours. Keep it!" She turned away and ran to her mom saying, "Mom, look what I found!"
Well, neither her or her mom bothered to turn it over and see the letter addressed to anyone. They turned it in to lost and found and was magically found by someone who saw it sitting there in the box. Later that night, Dave came out on stage to play the acoustic set. Guess what he opened with? BAM! Little Red Bird. Coincidence? Maybe.
Congratulations @zamboni332 for doing a bit of investigating and determination on this one. You certainly earned it, especially with all your help this weekend. Yay!
6) PONDERDANCERFIREMONSTER No. 2 - Painting #6 of 8 was left by the vending spot "The Painted Ponies" near the giant maze of Honey Buckets in the back of the venue. This was dropped during the lengthy tune of "Seek up".
Congratulations to the supergroup surrounding @somedevil1 for somehow finding this sweet drop and amazing group photo. You guys rock!
7) SAY GOODBYE - Painting #7 of 8, by far the most desired piece of them all... still left for over a day. This was strapped to a parking post in the lot just outside of the venue. Post "P8" to be exact.
"The long awaited painting #7 of 8 is ready for you to take. CLUE: P8 The time has come to #SayGoodbye, we hope you had the best weekend ever! One more to come later tonight...."
Congrats to Erin for earning this souvenir from her fiance and taking home this glorious piece!
8) PONDERDANCERFIREMONSTER No. 3 - Painting #8 of 8 was gifted. This is the first painting to be given to someone who truly deserved it. Granted you all deserve a painting, but when it comes down to it, I can be a wildcard, and can do whatever I want with them.
"Painting #8 of 8. Although many people want and deserve this #PonderDancerFireMonster, @thebryanmsmith was gifted this one for his epic journey this weekend. After the show night 3 on the back of the bus... asked him to hold it up for a picture to hide it, then said, "It's yours, you earned it." It was an emotional moment for all of us to say the least. The love you take is equal to the love you make. Congratulations Bryan!"
The lesson here is to strive to be a good person. Be selfless. Be a dreamer. Be inspiring. Love with all your heart, and the universe will reward you.
GORGE 2015? Yep! I'll be there to drop another round of original paintings inspired by other songs. Any request? I'm all ears.
So what's next?
Two things. A #MuchLoveTreasureHunt collaboration with @SpaceKoyote, recently deployed at Hoopcamp 2014 in California. And...
#INDIGO!!! That's right, the #PonderMonsterRainbowCollection is back in full effect! This is your clue to get you on the right path to find your very own PonderMonster painting...
When it comes wisdom, the theme of Indigo, it certainly rides a fine line with knowledge. Book smarts earns you knowledge, but nothing contributes to wisdom more than time and experience. So, get ready to look to things that will make one wise. Look to the stars, look at the clocks and look at yourself. Think of things that you can only learn through living and what you can absorb through the teachings of others.
Good luck in future treasure hunts! We'll chat again soon.
Much love,
-PM
P.S. Happy to announce that prints of this collection are in the works... Stay tuned. :)
So much excitement was built up for all of these paintings, and the hunters were ready to snatch up these babies. However, the human social experiment continues as most of these disappeared in the most random and lengthy times. Some found within minutes, others thrown away and found, given to lost and found and discovered, and some sat for nearly 6 days before being found. Definitely learned loads on this treasure hunt.
A closer look:
"You & Me" - "Pack your bags, something small... all the way to the end of the world."
"Halloween" - "Love is Hell."
"Pig" - "Don't burn the day (pig)."
"Little Red Bird" - "But don't you see daddy... how good I am at catching crumbs?"
"Say Goodbye" - "Tonight let's be lovers... tomorrow go back to being friends."
1) YOU & ME - Painting #1 of 8 was hidden on the post of a sign at mile marker 149. The 149 EXIT sign to the Gorge.
"#PondermonsterDMBcollection painting #1 of 8 is up for grabs! For all you wonderful Gorge earlybirds who packed your bag, something small... this clue be easy: 149. Come get me"
Thought this one would be swooped up the fastest, because everyone pulls over to take a picture with these signs. Nope. 6 days. It spent 6 freakin' days in the same spot. Given, it fell down once, BUT stayed there for SIX DAYS!!!!!! Constantly getting messages of people wanting this so badly, yet no one took the time to go get it. Also, nobody realized that there is a 149 EXIT sign coming from both directions... sigh. Bad start, but this one ended quite sweetly.
Congratulations to Matt Gentry for sticking with it and leaving with this piece on the last possible day!
2) HALLOWEEN - Painting #2 of 8 was hidden on an empty post at the Vantage overlook exit.
"#PondermonsterDMBcollection painting #2 of 8 is up to hunt and take! Just remember to take in all the sights while you're here at the Gorge. From the Gorge head towards Vantage, scenic overlook. Much love, #Halloween."
This too sat for a few days, but was later found by a true adventurer. Congratulations @shelgirldmb and @coreyshade for finding this one, and also an upcoming PonderDancerFireMonster!
3) PIG - Painting #3 of 8 was hidden on the Wildhorse Campground '1 mile ahead' sign.
"#PondermonsterDMBcollection painting #3 of 8, #PIG, is up for grabs! Get off your buns and go get it. Time's wasting, #Dontburntheday. To my knowledge, first two paintings are STILL FREAKIN AVAILABLE!"
Quickly swooped up by the mad hunter Matt, who will be a force to be recon with in future hunts, so be on your game next year people!
4) PONDERDANCERFIREMONSTER No. 1 (PROPOSAL NIGHT) - Painting #4 of 8 was hidden during the show night one. Placed near the exit of the venue during Satellite. The perfectly long song to go do the deed. This was so much fun to do, and I can't wait to do it during every show I go to. It felt like it was part of the show experience. People at the show were not only enjoying the music, but constantly checking Instagram to see if the painting has bee dropped.
"Painting #4 of 8. Hope you had/have an amazing time. ...also she said yes. Love my @sarahsparkles41"
Congratulations to @coreyshade for almost having to dig for this one. The note was missing after it was apparantly placed on top of a trash can as if it was a lost item. Thankfully it wasn't thrown away. As the story goes, he saw the post on Instagram and was all the way down in the pit near the stage. Took off in a mad dash and ran to the treasure. Many props to you, this was well deserved!
5) LITTLE RED BIRD - Painting #5 of 8 was hidden in Wildhorse Campground in the horseshoes sand pit.
This one has a short story... After planting this one, within seconds, a little girl (maybe 7 years old) picked it up before I could fully walk away. She said "Excuse me, is this yours?" I turned around and had to do some quick thinking. A little bird was truly standing before me and I thought it would be perfect for her to keep. So I said, "Nope. It's yours. Keep it!" She turned away and ran to her mom saying, "Mom, look what I found!"
Well, neither her or her mom bothered to turn it over and see the letter addressed to anyone. They turned it in to lost and found and was magically found by someone who saw it sitting there in the box. Later that night, Dave came out on stage to play the acoustic set. Guess what he opened with? BAM! Little Red Bird. Coincidence? Maybe.
Congratulations @zamboni332 for doing a bit of investigating and determination on this one. You certainly earned it, especially with all your help this weekend. Yay!
6) PONDERDANCERFIREMONSTER No. 2 - Painting #6 of 8 was left by the vending spot "The Painted Ponies" near the giant maze of Honey Buckets in the back of the venue. This was dropped during the lengthy tune of "Seek up".
Congratulations to the supergroup surrounding @somedevil1 for somehow finding this sweet drop and amazing group photo. You guys rock!
7) SAY GOODBYE - Painting #7 of 8, by far the most desired piece of them all... still left for over a day. This was strapped to a parking post in the lot just outside of the venue. Post "P8" to be exact.
"The long awaited painting #7 of 8 is ready for you to take. CLUE: P8 The time has come to #SayGoodbye, we hope you had the best weekend ever! One more to come later tonight...."
Congrats to Erin for earning this souvenir from her fiance and taking home this glorious piece!
8) PONDERDANCERFIREMONSTER No. 3 - Painting #8 of 8 was gifted. This is the first painting to be given to someone who truly deserved it. Granted you all deserve a painting, but when it comes down to it, I can be a wildcard, and can do whatever I want with them.
"Painting #8 of 8. Although many people want and deserve this #PonderDancerFireMonster, @thebryanmsmith was gifted this one for his epic journey this weekend. After the show night 3 on the back of the bus... asked him to hold it up for a picture to hide it, then said, "It's yours, you earned it." It was an emotional moment for all of us to say the least. The love you take is equal to the love you make. Congratulations Bryan!"
The lesson here is to strive to be a good person. Be selfless. Be a dreamer. Be inspiring. Love with all your heart, and the universe will reward you.
GORGE 2015? Yep! I'll be there to drop another round of original paintings inspired by other songs. Any request? I'm all ears.
So what's next?
Two things. A #MuchLoveTreasureHunt collaboration with @SpaceKoyote, recently deployed at Hoopcamp 2014 in California. And...
#INDIGO!!! That's right, the #PonderMonsterRainbowCollection is back in full effect! This is your clue to get you on the right path to find your very own PonderMonster painting...
When it comes wisdom, the theme of Indigo, it certainly rides a fine line with knowledge. Book smarts earns you knowledge, but nothing contributes to wisdom more than time and experience. So, get ready to look to things that will make one wise. Look to the stars, look at the clocks and look at yourself. Think of things that you can only learn through living and what you can absorb through the teachings of others.
Good luck in future treasure hunts! We'll chat again soon.
Much love,
-PM
P.S. Happy to announce that prints of this collection are in the works... Stay tuned. :)
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