Dave Letterfly Knoderer

Dave Letterfly Knoderer
Artist David Letterfly and his creative magic
Born	1953 Portland, Indiana, USA
Nationality	American
Other names	Letterfly
Occupation	Artist

Dave Letterfly Knoderer (born 1953) is an American artist known for his versatile talents with sign painting, airbrush artistry, gold leaf gilding, and pinstriping, and is also a classic horseman and entertainer. Letterfly – a word coined in 1976 by artist Dave Knoderer to use as his brush name, was officially registered as a business trademark in 1988 and legally became part of his name in 2022. The moniker Letterfly was an upgrade from his teenage alias Krazee Davee.

Early life and career

Dave grew up on the Wittenberg University campus as the son of a mezzo-soprano opera singer mother and a Lutheran minister father. Creativity began at an early age when little David began to imitate the themed homecoming displays built by the fraternity and sorority houses each fall with clever versions of his own. Imprinted with his father's love for the circus and inspired by the annual visit of the Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros Circus, Dave produced his backyard circus each summer. Although majoring in music and art throughout school, frustrations at home forced his decision to trust a hunch and at sixteen he launched himself into a life of adventure.

Dave took his set of drums and a few paintbrushes and spent the summer on a touring tent circus that made one-day stands. His creative drum licks enhanced the audience experience of the Clark & Walters Circus. Painting artwork on the fleet quickly evolved into other creative outlets in this interesting culture. As a nineteen-year-old animal training understudy, he created and learned how to perform with his six-pony liberty act. His performing palominos toured most of North America and half of Canada for many seasons.

In 1973, Dave officially began his career hand painting signs for the community of Clarklake between circus tours. Commissioned work expanded when Jim Elliott, manager of the W. G. Wade Shows in Michigan, hired him to create a pattern of their masthead to use to decorate the fleet. Later, in the role of show painter for the Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros Circus, and the Elliott Amusement Company, Dave's innovative decorations rocketed his reputation.

In 1979, he became an apprentice in the sign painting trade, enhancing his lettering and composition skills while working on various projects. Dave's association with the Letterheads, a group of sign painter tradesmen, expanded opportunities to exchange information about gold leaf gilding, specialty brush techniques, faux painted effects, and historic aspects of the sign trade.

Remaining passionate about the performing artform that utilized specialty-trained horses, Dave continued developing and performing with a series of three dancing horses over three decades. A picture of him astride his second horse, Class N Sass, is on display at the Museum of the Horse in Kentucky Horse Park. His horsemanship career evolved into having a command of the highest form of classic horsemanship – the Haute E ‘Cole or high school horse. Astride the American Saddlebred, he trained to the highest level, Dave on Souveran secured first place at the Sarasota International Circus Festival and Talent Competition in 1989. He also developed and performed many admirable antics with his jet-black mule in their comedy routine as "Gold Dust and the Old Cuss."

RV’s and motorcycles

The advent of the computer introduced the demise of the hand-lettering sign man. Fortunately, Letterfly was in the right place at the right time and discovered an emerging trend - the RV industry had begun producing large diesel-pusher motorhomes in the mid-eighties. Ma and Pa USA wanted their motor coach to look like a country music tour bus with airbrushed murals of stagecoaches, eagles flying over the mountains, wolves in the desert, underwater coral reef scenes, and custom images of all kinds. Since Dave, having performed with the circus, knew how to travel, he was able to capitalize on this roving market and thrive. While chasing the work all over the country for nine years solid, Letterfly became the most prolific of all the artists on the RV scene. Becoming the premier producer of custom murals attracted the attention of Don Wallace, who was busy building the Disney of RV dealerships in Tampa. Don wanted everything that an RVer could want on his property. Having the best artist in the country was part of his vision. In 1995 Letterfly began his notable residency at Lazydays and thrived there for fifteen years.

As technology introduced a new way for RV exteriors to be painted, and digitally printed images took over the market, Dave adapted by responding to demands for murals in the emerging upscale Harley-Davidson retail facilities. In that environment, Dave discovered another market for his unique skillset - pinstriping for bikers by hand with paint. Today he enjoys a route of customer-dedicated motorcycle dealerships from Philadelphia to Chicago where he adds to the fun of motorcycling.

Author and motivational speaker

Writing started with creating marketing content at the brink of the RV trend and evolved into a series of entertaining anecdotes, philosophical interludes, magazine articles, and published essays - many of which are parked on his blog entitled LetterflyWrites. Dave also sends out a bi-monthly e-mail newsletter entitled "Tales of a Traveling Airbrush." Soon the author had enough material for a book, and then two, and then three. With the help of his creative writing professor friend, Dave became a published author with his first memoir "Speedy Hurled through Havoc" which reveals part of his interesting life. Other titles include - "Hit the Road and Thrive," - "The Galloping Snapper," - "Kinker Circusing the Seventies," - and "Rolling Art, Why a Mural?"

Future books in the works include - "Red Sorrel on the Road Home," - "Responsible RVing," - "One Man Show," and "Rolling Motorcycle Art."

As a member of Toastmasters International Letterfly ongoingly develops and delivers speeches of hope and inspiration to his audience. Dave produces informative seminars, encouraging keynote talks, and entertaining workshops for various clubs, artist's guilds, civic groups, and fellowships. Letterfly remains dedicated to encouraging his audience to transform challenges into opportunities using stories from his colorful life and career that proves to be a heartwarming example for his audience.

Personal life

Thanks to the design for living introduced through the AA recovery community, Letterfly remains dedicated to being of service to his fellows. Through maintaining a connection with God, Dave continuously seeks inspiration to help others transform their challenges one heart-warming story at a time.

Dedicated to the promotion of environmental health, the practice of regular meditation, exercise, mindfulness, and finding ways to benefit his community, Dave fills his time with creative fabrication projects for several circuses, writing about his interesting life, ballroom dancing, painting artwork, and gardening during the winter months at his home called ArtPark in Florida.

During the summer months, you will find him enjoying the RV lifestyle along his seven-month route of Harley-Davidson stores east of the Mississippi where he serves customers with hand-painted pinstriping, lettering, and pictorial images of all kinds along with gilded effects. A relentless showman, these designs are created right before your eyes as a value-added attraction and form of entertainment.

Awards and preservation

Dave received accolades during his role as a sign painter in Jackson, Michigan when he won the Signs of the Times annual design competition for a storefront he conceived and painted in 1986.

Visitors to the Jackson County Historical Museum learn about the rich history of Brownstown, Indiana thanks to the special fabricated works of stylized art created to pay homage to the artist's humble beginning that also tells the story of the family, the elephants, and the circus that called the Hoosier state home.

Letterfly donated all the framed marketing artwork used during his residency at Lazydays and other curiosities that celebrate the brief era of rolling artwork on RVs to the RV Heritage Museum of Elkhart Indiana.

Dave remains dedicated to preserving and promoting various aspects of historical value by creating special sign work and examples of pinstriping on motorcycles to benefit visitors of Laugerman's Memories Museum in York, Pennsylvania.

A dedicated renaissance man fond of outdoor show business, Letterfly remains uniquely qualified to create nostalgic sign work to celebrate the old-time circus banner painter and carnival ride decorator. The artist is ongoingly creating new examples of the show painter's art to expand personal collections. Plus, his old portable airbrush T-shirt booth is now on display at the Showman's Museum in Gibsonton, Florida.

Seminars, workshops, podcasts and publications

Letterfly teaches all aspects of the old-school artisan once a year at his home in Florida. During the week-long training called Custom Paint Workshops, Letterfly provides instruction with hand lettering, pinstriping, airbrushing, pictorial painting, and gold leaf gilding during the first week of February.

His Udemy online course entitled Stuck No More – Turning Dreams into Plans is designed to encourage everyday people bored with routine, lacking helpful direction, and a desire for the courage to step fearlessly forward into the unknown.

Letterfly regularly participates as a guest on Podcasts and broadcast television and radio shows of all kinds. Articles about the artist and his horses have appeared in American Saddlebred Magazine, Auto Art Magazine, Family Motor Coach Magazine, RV Business, Circus Report, Amusement Business, and Bus Conversion Magazine. Dave also writes informative and entertaining articles for publications and magazines including Born to Ride, RV Living, and Western Horseman.

Partnerships

Letterfly remains available with an imaginative vision for a better tomorrow to partner with like-minded conservation groups, spiritual individuals, avid horsemen, and dedicated healing fellowships who desire contribution, encouragement, instruction, and direction.