Thank you all for following along on this crazy journey with me.  And thanks to Smoe & Ten Hundred and the YouTube gang for helping me with this unique ending idea - You can grab a piece of the fire horse here 🔥🐴: http://www.kiptoe.com/firehorse

Watching the man who commissioned the mural recognize the story in it and even recognize individual horses in this crazy piece is awesome; as he said, the level of research and care you poured into this is awesome dude. Watching the walls go up,

And then my jaw literally dropped when this video turned into a found footage horror 😭😭😭 way to land on your feet though 💯💯

I'm so sorry dude. What a devastating situation. The fact that you turned up the next day to do what you could to salvage it, is a testament to you as a person.

Kiptoe, watching this video was genuinely emotional. I had the privilege of seeing the mural you created for the horse show in Vegas and I was blown away by it. But watching this video and seeing the insane amount of dedication, the hours of spray painting, the care you poured into every single piece, and then having it destroyed, only for you to come back and fight to restore it… that is the definition of a true artist. You don’t create because it’s easy. You create because you can’t not. Thank you for letting us witness that. You are an inspiration and I hope you know how many people your work touches deeply. ❤❤❤

Brother, this is absolutely heartbreaking. Knowing that you spent months of editing these videos knowing what went down and having to relive that trauma is a different level of dedication. The fact that you were able to be present enough to try and salvage it the next day is commendable. You are a beast my friend!

The fact you put in the time to edit and tell this story on YouTube, all while knowing what happened in Vegas, is seriously inspiring.  I imagine reliving it all must’ve been heavy work, but hopefully cathartic as well?
The reframed ending is beautiful. Truly a beautiful project all the way through. Glad to have been able to share in the heartbreaks and triumphs as a viewer. 👏❤️

As an artist, I have learned that art is fleeting. Once out of your creative hands, it is literally out of your control. I have had pieces destroyed by fire, wind, and vandalism. What I have come to realize is that all you can do is move forward, and forget about the past. The memories of the past will hold you back.

This was truly a tragedy on a grand scale. When doing an outdoor art installation, you have to consider all of what can happen to the artwork. Trust me, nothing gets past Mother Nature. This is of course a learning moment. The scars will take time to heal, but in the end you will become better than ever.

The best of luck  on your future endeavors!

In Japan there exists a Zen Buddhist–influenced aesthetic philosophy known as wabi-sabi, which finds beauty not in perfection but in imperfection, impermanence, and incompleteness—in art as well as in ourselves. Closely related is the centuries-old practice of kintsugi, the art of repairing broken pottery with powdered gold, silver, or platinum. Rather than hiding the damage, the repair highlights it, transforming cracks into luminous reminders of the object’s history and survival.

All of this is to say that your piece, though not in the state you originally intended, is not broken or diminished. Instead, it has been marked by experience, giving it a renewed sense of resilience and a distinct character that is uniquely its own.

My heart breaks for you. Literally you picked up the pieces and carried on, such strength of character in the face of adversity. I'm proud of you. Wish you nothing but the best.

An incredible tale of honor, perseverance, lust, loss, heartbreak, Elvis Presley, and hope. Couldn't make a more interesting story if you tried. HEAD HELD HIGH. Prints look epic.

The storm made me emotional, but the end made me cry. What a beautiful end to this story.

Kiptoe I cried when I saw the shot of the wall destroyed by the storm. I knew the result was not going to be good. I hope everyone at the event is okay and no one was injured by the storm. But omg I feel heart broken for you, you worked so hard and the art you created was absolutely beautiful. I am glad you were able to salvage some of it.

That fire horse mural was awesome. Came back 3x stronger

I gave up drawing some time ago due to personal problems. I've always loved painting, drawing, creating as a whole. I followed your latest endeavor for the horse show with so much joy, I was so excited, and in the end, I cried with you. But seeing your strength, overcoming adversity with so much resilience, respect, and love for art, made me feel like a child again, holding colored pencils in my hands, with a huge desire to start drawing again. Thank you, Kiptoe, thank you for showing with such sensitivity that even in life's biggest upheavals, we can learn from everything. Keep going, brother, always keep going. A big hug from someone who admires you so much, from Brazil.

This was a story. a Journey. a tragedy. an awakening. and finally an epic ending. Thank you for sharing!

I can't figure out what's more beautiful; that mural, or the message that goes with it.  THANK YOU for such inspiration!!!!!!!

This finale was months in the making. I’d love to hear what moment hit you the hardest, or what part of the series resonated the most with you?

Thank you for being so honest and vulnerable.  You literally got bucked from the horse and got back on.  I've had winds come up and take everything on my tradeshow table and send paintings flying.  The people that helped me gather everything said how bad they felt, but I just said its paper, canvas and paint.  It was a lesson and I can create something better.  You are an inspiration.  And your partner is a keeper.

your motivation to get back up is a true testament to your character. you're awesome dude

In watching this video, my heart went from “oh man, I’m so sorry!!!“ to “that new mural is so sick!”. The graphic quality of the final squares is beautiful. I hope I find the courage in this fire horse that you are adopting. Also, it must feel like you are creating in a vacuum, but we see you — your creativity, curiosity, chances, do-overs, successes and joy. You are “achieving “ life. And flowers!! 😊