Las Vegas- Mint 400

Four Days, Dust, and a Whole Lot of Inspiration

Some things sit on the “one day” list that you never think you will actually get too...

The Mint 400 was one of those.

It started pretty simply… one Sunday, sitting there watching the race from the year before. One of those “imagine being there” kind of moments. I threw it out there… wouldn't it be cool just to pack up and go?

Two weeks later, we were on a plane.

And that’s kind of how the whole trip unfolded.

One minute I was in the VIP tent, sketching the feature car for the Mint 400… surrounded by people, noise, movement… trying to catch the shape and energy of it before it changed again.

The next minute, I was out on the track.

Dust in the air, engines screaming past, camera in hand… chasing moments as they happened. Not staged, not slowed down… just raw, fast, unpredictable.

That’s where the real inspiration came from.

Not sitting still… but moving between it all.

Sketching… then shooting… then back again.

Taking in as much as I could, knowing I’d be bringing it all back home and turning it into something more.

That’s the thing about a race like the Mint 400… it’s not just something you watch.

It pulls you into it.

And somewhere in between all of that, the collaborations started to unfold naturally.

The Mint 400 gave me the space to create right there in the middle of it all… which, honestly, is exactly where my work belongs.

And then the Golden Nugget.

Walking through there felt like stepping into another world entirely. One minute you’re covered in desert dust… next minute you’re sitting at the bar, painting cocktails, watching the lights bounce off everything.

I set up with my paints, ordered a drink… then another… and just started creating.

Met the bartender, had a laugh, painted what was in front of me… and before I knew it, that moment turned into another piece.

Then came the Gordie Brown show.

We went in not knowing what to expect… and walked out completely blown away. It was funny, real, personal… the kind of show you don’t forget.

Afterwards, we ended up backstage, chatting away… and that’s when I found out he’s an artist too.

One of those full-circle moments.

Two completely different worlds… somehow meeting in the same space through art.

And that’s what this whole trip felt like.

Everything just kept connecting.

From the race… to the hotel… to the people.

Vegas isn’t usually my kind of place… I’m more at home out in the country… but this was different.

It was intense… loud… constantly moving… but somehow still inspiring in a way that stuck.

We were only there for four days.

Four days… and I came home with enough ideas, references, and energy to fuel months of work.

And honestly…

It still feels like I only scratched the surface...

There are already pieces coming out of this trip… and a lot more still to come.

And something tells me this won’t be the last time I find myself back there, creating in the middle of it all.