Dave Letterfly Knoderer
"The guru of living an interesting life"
Started as a creative drummer with the circus and then developed his own style of hand painted artwork. Letterfly has traveled the world and he has written a book which is a blueprint for living an interesting life
Dave Letterfly Knodder starts by stating that "the smartest thing I've ever did was join the circus". Though not everyone has lived such a life, Letterly has definitely done so! As a teenager, he joined in 1970 as a show drummer.
While drumming, Letterly became fascinated with the performing animals in the show. Becoming familiar with this unique artform, he found affinity with horses while learning about multiple animal liberty horse presentations. He later gravitated toward other disciplines of classic horsemanship developing a passion for “Haute E’cole,” meaning high school, (or horse schooled to the highest level). Being part of this distinct entertainment experience provided skills that morphed into his relentless appetite for creativity, fun and adventure that continues to this day.
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He became an apprentice to the sign painting and design trade. A skilled painter, Letterfly designed and painted large wall graphics and theater sets, themed interior and exterior murals in amusement parks, crafted delicate gold leaf gilding and decoration on Antique Fire Trucks, hand lettered signage and scenery on carnival midways, and award-winning gilded window treatments and storefront décor.
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As levels of finesse were accomplished with his equine dance partners, parallel developments showed up in the pinstriping, airbrushing and graphic work that financed his quest as a performing horseman. As the evolution of entertainment grew to exclude horses, the demand for his unique style of artwork expanded. Travel to serve a growing list of clients remained one of the constants in his life.
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Letterfly clearly qualifies as an old school/renaissance man with a command of design layout formulas, intimacy with letterform, old school pinstriping, and both wet-blended and airbrushed pictorial painting. As his skills with the brush developed, he could not disregard his penchant for adventure.
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As sign making began to go the way of the computer over four decades ago, Letterfly found a niche airbrushing high-quality murals on the backs of motor homes. After nine solid years of chasing the work, he became the resident artist at the largest RV dealership in the country.
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During the winter months, extensive paint jobs and the fabrication of an endless variety of interesting things takes place at his home/studio/workshop called ArtPark, in Florida. Lush garden pathways connect the shop, studio, RV parking and gallery situated in a quiet oak hammock that is a haven for creativity and a destination for RVers and bikers alike.
When its cold up north, motorcycle enthusiasts dismantle their bikes and ship the pieces to Letterfly ArtPark for intricate design work, over-all custom repaints and spectacular paint jobs that showcase his vast repertoire.
When RVers head to Florida during the winter, they visit ArtPark to get a custom airbrushed mural on the back of their motor home, a portrait of their pet on the entry door, some graphic shapes on their tow-car that match the stripe designs on the coach, a monogram, a special inscription or any number of one-of-a-kind images that the artist conjures up just for them.
No matter what sort of wheeled machine you have; touring bike, motor home, automobile, hot rod, motorcycle or even a guitar, fanciful artwork, colorful swoops, hand lettered inscriptions, a full-fledged mural or a mini portrait, gold leaf gilding and the old school hand-painted pinstriping that he is famous for, the finishing touch will personalize your rig, make “looking good” a reality and traveling down the road more fun.
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The artist/author Dave Letterfly Knoderer is not only the guru of living an interesting life but is also an inspirational speaker ready to take you behind the scenes of the fascinating places discovered along the road of his life.
Writing began as newsletter content thirty years ago. Soon Letterfly had enough material for one book, then two, and now he is working on several memoires that chronical the surprise twists, turbulent chaos and confusing detours of a tumultuous life that ultimately led to love.
He is quick to point out that everyone’s mixture of life’s challenges is divinely choreographed to help us discover our true purpose. Subscribe to receive his bi-monthly email newsletter called Tales of a Traveling Airbrush.
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Moved as an author, Letterfly began manipulating ideas, concepts and feelings into words that capture, motivate and introduce the reader to the elusive concept of inner propulsion, the instinctual rite of passage and the hidden power that drives our lives through the linear concept of time, the spaciousness of this universe and the extremes of our emotive environment.
These ideas, introductions and concepts were just the beginning of his rhetorical musings. These reflections have gathered momentum and have resulted in an incredible upcoming book.
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Letterfly credits his experiences as a teenager with the circus for teaching him how to travel. He goes on to explain that traveling is more than just getting into the car and going somewhere. While immersed in making one-day-stands with the old time big top circus a special oneness with the road, a new relationship with time and the resulting connection with his surroundings became almost Zen-like.
It is a fact that today, many men and women are dreaming of a future that includes living, loving, working and traveling in an RV. Hit the road and thrive promises to serve this portion of an emerging demographic by providing a functional step by step portal through which readers will find the answers to their longing to hit the road and a practical manner of living the life of their dreams.
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Today Letterfly is a renowned motorcycle pinstripe artist, speaker and spiritual seeker in the modern world of gigabytes, impulsive distractions and emerging societal insanity.
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Here’s what people are saying:
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“In a landscape filled with stereotyped characters- con artists and ne’er-do-wells- this truly authentic tale, written by an extraordinary renaissance man will challenge your preconceived notions about the world of the traveling show. Dave is a man of many talents- a truly prodigious sign painter and muralist- but what makes his story shine is the way he has faced obstacles and applied his kindness, horse sense, creativity and grit to overcome them. An inspiring and adventurous read… Highly recommended!”
Kevin Venardos
“The strength of champions lies in their stories. Stories like this gives hope and should be read by all.”
“I like the fact that the author made the plots very simple, concise, and in a straightforward manner. I have always shared the sentiment that non-fiction stories like this are invaluable and every reader of such books will definitely have a lesson or two to draw from it.”
“The title got me hooked. A good plot with intriguing storyline, a must read. Wonderful review”
“This book also covers topics like moral ethics and ethical values, also to mention the book is extremely elaborative with precise information.”
“I’m the old guy from Woodstock with the black Jaguar and it’s outstanding line stripe. I smile every time I look at my car now.”
“And then there is Speedy. As I have often told you I find your road tales wonderfully narrated stories which anyone can relate to and often envy but you hit a grand slam with your book. Dave, I literally can’t put it down and I will be ordering copies for several of my riding and non-riding friends. The narrative never lags, the stories are universally interesting, the interest never flags and I often find myself so absorbed that I became part of the story. “
“Dave, I have read broadly and consistently through my long life and seldom have I been so engaged in a piece of non-fiction. I am grateful for your effort and its stellar results. I’m looking forward to continuing my armchair journey with Letterfly Dave. Quite honestly, Speedy is a work of importance and I wanted to thank you for it.”
Thomas M. Bogle - Chicago-Lake Geneva-Naples
“David...David...David! I purchased your book and I am over 3/4 of the way through it. AND... I already posted a quick review. It's SO good that I couldn't wait to finish the final chapter before making my love for you book known to others. Your stories and your passion draw me into a peek at your life, your family, and your many talents. You definitely have a God given talent for expressing your heart and soul in such a meaningful way. I will gladly send you more feedback when I've finished reading the entire book. Also looking forward to your new book!
Well done, I am so very proud to be your friend all these many years. And yes, you have always been the faithful son my dad never had... “
Love, Pooch
“I really enjoyed reading this book. Dave Letterfly's adventurers left one exploring their own lives. I look forward to reading his next book.”
“Fascinating! ~ My first thought occurred just a few pages into this tale. An expression I use when weaving the wonderful people and experiences of life together is, “the tapestry of life”. The Author was woven into my life in 2014 when I was lucky enough to have him pinstripe my motorcycle in New Hampshire. I was anxious to read Speedy ~ The Tales of a Traveling Airbrush and learn more about this character called Letterfly. Early on in the book one of his sentences stopped me in my tracks, "The most valuable gift you can give another person is to be a source of kindness, acceptance and, fun.” He articulated life perfectly. The book took me back to an earlier time of steam trains, circus life, friend and mentorship like is seldom seen these days. I had no idea the author was such a horseman and could relate 100% to the chapter of the blind horse knowing exactly when and where to stop on the route ~ a great grandfather had an ice block delivery horse named Dolly who did exactly the same, making all the stops along her route. I loved learning about the gypsy lifestyle of the amusement business moving from town to town. Descriptions of different areas and lifestyles around the country were so vivid. It took the reader back in time and the author’s ability to share his passion for the mentors he had along his journey so far was really one of the key parts of this tale. Each of the inspiring characters mentioned were people that mentored, guided and influenced the author and made such an impact it drove him to write about them and, as a reader, made you anxious to know more. I can’t wait to read more and learn about the Adventures of the Traveling Airbrush. His story makes a lot more sense once you learn about a man nicknamed Speedy.”
“I absolutely LOVE this book! It's a Magical Mystery Tour, winding through the life of this extremely talented author's lifelong journey. Definitely, a must read! Letterfly never ceases to astound me!”
“What a great book!! I couldn’t put it down. Very well written. It is so captivating it feels like I am traveling right along with him. Can’t wait for his next book.”
“Sorry for such a short review, but I am not much of a writer, unlike Dave, who tells his story so well. I love a good autobiography, and Dave’s writing style is entertaining and engaging. What a full and exciting tale he has lived.”
“Sometimes you get the gift of experiencing a true American story. This is such a gift. When’s the movie?”
“A True to Life Story of a Talented Boy that Follows His Dream of Joining a Traveling Circus”
“This is a true story told in first person of a young talented boy (Dave) that followed the adventurous seed planted by his father. As with life, the author writes in colorful detail of the highs and lows of his adventure…which still continues today!”
“Life with a Traveling Circus introduced him to many interesting and talented personalities which you can visualize in his writing. What stands out clearly is the love and passion these performers have for their animals and each other. If you have had the good fortune to go to a circus, you were seeing the finished product of many, many weeks, months, possible years of training as depicted in Dave’s life on the road.”
“Speedy: Hurled Through Havoc” will have you reflecting on your own life’s journey as it has with me!”
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For more information:
Entertaining content for the bi-monthly newsletter entitled
“Tales of a Traveling Airbrush”
captivates readers with stories from his interesting life
are all posted on the blog;
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