PonderMonster Much LoVE Collection #MuchLoveTreasureHunt

Much LoVE. #MuchLoveTreasureHunt

(This Post has the first ever fan video of a find!)

This is the theme of an ongoing PonderMonster edition with no end insight, but you should be caught up on what it is and what it's about. There have already been about 10 "Much Love" paintings left behind in the world for people to find and treasure hunt, and it is slowly becoming one of my favorite collections to make! This is the story of the first 5.

The main purpose for the creation of this collection was to have something to drop upon PonderMonster's travels. It's simple and is a design that has become a theme to the idea of what PonderMonster is all about, Much Love. Also, easily collaborative-able (New word? Maybe. Patent pending...) So many dreams of who to team up with! Already done one with the Multi-talented and fascinating @SpaceKoyote! That story is soon to come.

Anyways, I wanted to test the outer world with the challenge of finding an art piece with little to no knowledge of it even existing or even happening in their own town. Challenge accepted! It's been a crazy ride from the beginning. Starting off strong in response, then quickly dwindling, and the lack of responses made me wonder if it was even worth continuing. The short answer is yes. Always.

The real challenge here is continuing to tailor the notes that come with each painting. From identifying what has just been found, to what you're supposed to do with it if you would like to keep it. The biggest problem is that a lot of people don't actually have Instagram. Which is understandable, but it has turned into my biggest problem.

The notes now read (among other explanations), "Instructions: If you want to keep this painting you must PLEASE take a picture of you with the painting and have either you or a friend post it to Instagram." Not sure what else to here to get a response, but am open to suggestions if you would like to throw one my way! Thank you.

Had a string of travel plans coming up so I decided to go ahead and make 5 for the road. Destinations: 1. Las Vegas NV, business trip; 2. MOAB, UT work; 3. Aspen, CO, work; Glenwood Springs, CO, vacation; and 5. Seattle, WA, wedding.

1.) Las Vegas, NV.

Traveled there to tag along with my lady for a business trip. Took an afternoon away from everything to leave the very FIRST Much Love painting behind. Left atop a ledge on the walkway to the Bellagio, overlooking the Paris just seemed perfect, and a great representation of love indeed. However, it's journey has just begun...

 Didn't know who would know about it, so it was left in a semi-obvious location. Turns out there were a few people after this painting! This was quickly after the airing of Dateline NBC's "The Road Home" (6 or 7 parts online or Youtube in full here), where I was a featured subject in regards to the 15th year anniversary of the Columbine shooting of 1999. In the intro of the episode, they talked a little bit about me and mentioned the art I do on the side. They mentioned my Instagram handle @PonderMonster, and I gained 2,000+ followers in less than 24 hours! A little overwhelming, but it definitely helped spread the word across the planet about what I would rather be known for. Art, love, sharing, giving, kindness and smiles.

Back on track... The CLUE was this: "#jetaime If you know where the Bellagio ladies are standing on the strip, head up the stairs and enjoy the view."

The Letter:

@danteandavasmom was on the hunt! Knowing exactly where to go, she ran up the stairs only to discover it was already gone. No way. Too fast. I asked her to look over the ledge in case it fell off for some weird reason or something. She ran around and looked all over, then she saw someone... a janitor! She ran over to him and asked if he had found a painting, and get this, it was on his cart being taken to be THROWN AWAY!!!! She said it was hers and snagged it up, and took this beautiful picture that makes me oh so happy.

Congratulations @danteandavasmom for doing what it takes to snag one of these paintings. By the way, this will not be the last painting to be tossed before finding. Come on people! Why would you just throw it away in the garbage?!?! Either way, this was a success in my book and I couldn't wait to do more. Little did I know the discouraging path it would take me down that would nearly lead to the end of the Much Love series... 3 consecutive (nearly) unanswered paintings.

2.) MOAB, UT.

The Letter:

 Off on a quick trip to the Canyon Lands in MOAB to run B camera for a reality show for Travel Channel's Mega RV Countdown. This time was for the super sweet EarthRoamer RV (See those timelapses? That's me behind that camera!) Anyways... We started the day at the visitor's center, and before we took off, I ran over to a popular lookout point and planted a Much LoVE painting. The backdrop for this picture continues to be one of my favorites.

Also, here's an extra fun picture of me on the rim of the canyon.

 
Never went back to the spot to see if it got taken, but it was in a heavily populated area, so I knew it would be found. No response, or so I thought! This would have been one of the few to go unanswered at this point. Got pretty bummed out about it, but then about 3 weeks later, there was a message on Instagram with a finder.

YAY!

Congratulations @gzielnicki for going on an adventure in MOAB and taking home this one of a kind souvenir.

3.) Aspen, CO.

Went up there for work, this time a photo shoot. One of my favorite places on earth to see a show is at the Belly Up. If you've never been, you should plan on making a weekend trip. The Belly Up is an intimate venue that only fits a few hundred people, and every famous band in the world has played there. Every time I'm in Aspen, I try to make a stop in there to see something, even if it's a DJ playing for the night. A great example of good times would be seeing Cut Copy with about 150 people in the venue. So much fun.

The Belly Up is such an iconic place in Aspen, CO that I thought it would be a great place to put a painting. If you scroll through the messages, you'll notice that the painting was up for over 4 hours! After seeing a show, it was STILL there! Sat and watched if from across the street for another 30 minutes. Nothing. Went for a walk around the block to warm up for, literally, less than 5 minutes. Came back... Gone.

The Letter:

After getting really excited, I waited to see if anything happened on Instagram. Nope. Not a peep. Still have yet to hear about it, although someone thought they had read something in the news the next day about it, but I never heard or saw anything. Sadness.

So, wherever you are out there, Much Love Aspen, you are missed and I hope you are well and loved.

4.) Glenwood Springs, CO.

The (blurry) Letter: "Congratulations you found me!! This painting indicates that PonderMonster has been here. Spreading much love along his travels, he left this behind in Glenwood Spring, CO for you to sumble upon. Quick, take a picture of us together and post it to Instagram (@PonderMonster) so the world can see our new friendship! This is now yours forever to keep, so take it home and hang it proudly. Much love, -PonderMonster"

Went out there for a nice little weekend with the lady and her folks. Took a dip in the massive hot springs pool, but before that happened, a Much LoVE painting was dropped along the walkway bridge that crosses over into town. I was able to spy on it from the pool area, which was sweet, but as consistent as Old Faithful, the second I turned my head it was gone. Forever. No response. COME ON! Getting super discouraged at this point...

Not wanting to be discriminant about who gets my art, but I'm pretty sure a group of nomadic teens (nicest possible way to describe them) snagged it. There is an avid PonderMonster treasure hunter by the name of @lilpanda317 who is beyond determined to find a painting, drove all the way out there, and asked everyone hanging out on the bridge if there was a painting left behind. Said it was hers and was trying to track it down. The "teens" said that they had heard about it, but didn't see anything. I think she was ready to search through their belongings to take it home. Also, asked butt-old bearded men drinking from paper bags. One guy even said he saw an article about these paintings in the Aspen times at one point. Someday @lilpanda317, someday. Valiant effort, but this one too will be lost with the wind.

5.) Seattle, WA.

Getting pretty discouraged at this point and wondering if it's a good idea to continue a, hopefully, worldwide hunt if no one is responding to them? Look, the ONLY thing that I get out of all of this is knowing and seeing the happiness that is brought to each person who finds one. When they go repeatedly unanswered, there's not much motivation to keep going. When there's a response from a painting, there's nothing that amps me up more to crank out continuous paintings for you to find. So please universe, just let me know that they make it to safe and happy homes. Again, open to suggestions on how to evoke more consistent responses.

Back on track. Went to Seattle, WA for a close friend from High School's wedding. It was glorious, spectacular, fun, magical and special in so many ways.

Looking for an iconic background for this painting was easy. Space Needle, duh. Finding the perfect place under the monorail in a busy intersection, the only trick was to take a picture and walk away from the painting without anyone seeing it go down. Using my special lady as a decoy, I slapped up the painting using some tape and took a touristy picture for cover, but not without taking another photo with the only the painting and the Needle. Then, we walked away like nothing happened. 

The Letter:

My lady Sarah, the decoy (also note the Broncos sticker that was there, go Broncos.)

See it on the cement pillar under the monorail?! Love this picture...

There were so many Seattleites waiting for this to pop up, and here's what happened. A friend from Colorado, who also came out for the wedding, just happened to notice the post on Instagram and booked it across town. Pulled a U-turn in the middle of a street, darted to the intersection, threw on the hazards, ran across the street, snapped a quick picture, snagged the painting and took off! They had an amazing adventure throughout the day with that painting and shared to the world all that happened on their trip to Seattle.

 Congratulations @jen_spulock and Charlie for your enthusiasm, love and adventures that lead you to this moment, with an amazing couple of photos to boot!

This was EXACTLY what I needed to motivate me to keep going. Without this find, I'm not sure I would have wanted to continue. I would have anyways, but it could have been something that died before it's time. I have since decided to do the #MuchLoveTreasureHunt indefinitely, til the end of time.

The next MuchLoVE series includes the stories of Hoopcamp 2014 (yes, a whole week long getaway to learn about hulahooping) and the gloriously successful collaboration with the multi-talented and fascinating @SpaceKoyote! Here's a sneak peek video of what happened during the @SpaceKoyote/@PonderMonster collaboration hunt...

NEXT STOP: VIOLET - #PonderMonsterRainbowCollection with the theme of #MYSTERY

So mysterious...

PLUS, this for the holidays... ($20 Stuffed with each painting, booyah!)

That's right. An extra special surprise for the holidays will include a bit of cash stuffed along with each note! $20 will be my extra gift to you to get something special for someone else and pass along the goodness of giving. Don't get used to it though, I'm pretty broke as it is but this is the holidays and I wanted to challenge myself to amp up the LoVE for the season.

Super extra note: Prints of PonderMonsterArt are slowly becoming available. If you want a limited edition signed copy of your favorite painting or you want to own an entire collection, check out my new Etsy page and get your very own! Once they're gone, they're gone FOREVER.

Until next time, much love and happy hunting.

-PM

 P.S. The complete story of #INDIGO in the #PonderMonsterRainbowCollection coming soon...

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