creating Po
Latest Work
In the spring of 2026, Ideaphoria Press published the first volume of my ArtPlayPages coloring books series: “Green Mountain Falls History: ArtPLAYpages.” The book features coloring and drawing pages based on the historic photographs and local history of Green Mountain Falls and the Ute Pass, Colorado. Of the 44 ArtPLAYpages, 28 are my hand-drawn renditions of historic photographs. The remaining pages are historic photos stylized for coloring and drawing. The captions and quotes bring the history of our idyllic town to life. Each page is a launching pad for a creative art collaboration, a relaxing, peaceful, non-screen pastime - and creation of a completed art project!
Designed for Ute Pass and Pikes Peak history buffs and/or complex coloring artist enthusiasts. Learn about the history and life experiences of the indigenous people, locals, and tourists who have treasured this steep green valley on the flanks of Pikes Peak from ancient time, through the railroad tourism age of the 1890s, and on until now.
The book is available in Green Mountain Falls at Stones & Bones, exclusive collection of local arts and crafts, Wild & Kind coffee shop with ice cream and gifts, and at the Green Box box-office.
In Woodland Park, the find it at the amazing collection of local products at The Marketplace gift store in the Safeway shopping center, and at Ute Pass Historical Society’s Museum Gift Shop.
Upcoming and Recent Art Events
DrMike’s “Gnomes’ Second Home” Diorama
Dates: Ongoing
DrMike’s whimsical diorama is on display through the autumn and winter in the historic Land Office in Lake Park, Green Mountain Falls.
The artwork can be viewed through the large windows in this delightful Late-Victorian building!
Collaborate with me!
DrMike: “I am interested in collaborating with local groups, schools, galleries, local events and art centers and festivals to encourage, create and present collaborative art projects for your group’s gatherings! If you have an idea, please share it using the form below.
I’m looking forward to our conversation about your ideas!”
Recent Events
ArtVillage POP-UP! Collaborative Art Zone
DrMike Was at Green Box Arts 5th Annual Farm & Art Market Saturday, September 26, 11 - 3, Near the Farm Stand on the Green Box Campus in Green Mountain Falls
This ArtVillage POP-UP! featured three fan favorite brief collaborative art projects:
~ Coloring for All Ages: Select and begin coloring a page from DrMike’s Green Mountain Falls History: ArtPlayPages or from our amazing collection of Coloring Books.
~The Irony Board: Improv Poetry: Smile at the poetic lines - and add one from your poetic self.
~ The Buddha of Many Hats: Create and photograph your own “Buddha of Many Hats”!
DrMike on “Teller Time” audio and video podcast.
On Wednesday, September 30, DrMike was a guest with hosts Thom Seehafer and Charlie Chambers on the 64th episode of “Teller Time.”
The debut of the S.O.S. Machine:
June 6, 2026, Green Mountain Falls & Chipeta Park
Firefighters Appreciation Day at GMF Fire Station
The debut of DrMike’s invention, The S.O.S. Machine, was a success! Many people played the game, hit the target and released a refreshing splash upon a neighbor - and won a medal. A bunch of kids and a few adults sat for a splash and experienced the sudden liberating jolt of water on the head! The person who sits for a splash chooses the amount of water - from a spoonful to a full gallon - dropped on their head.
What is this S.O.S. Machine?
A neighborly old-school twist on the Dunking Tank, the S.O.S. Machine’s game is to hit the target, thereby releasing a cooling S.plash O.f S.ummer to help a neighbor cool off! Win a prize medal!
To experience the S.O.S. Machine’s Splash of Summer, wear something that can get a bit - or a lot - wet and, maybe, bring a towel. The person sitting for a Splash of Summer chooses the amount of water dropped on their head!
News about the next appearance of the S.O.S. Machine will be posted here!
The S.O.S. Machine is now available for LOAN to Ute Pass area community events and family & friends gatherings. Submit requests through the Contact page.
The art Village Creativity Space with Dr Mike Bowers:
July 4 – 19, Green Box Arts Festival 2026
Green Mountain Falls, Colorado
DrMike hosted the ArtVillage Creativity Space, a collaborative art studio for festivalgoers to create spontaneous art during the summer’s of 2026 festival.
The art village playshop space, Art Village, was open for over 40 hours during the Green Box Arts Festival. Participating artists included all ages, multigenerational family groups, groups of friends and couples all hanging out on Pikes Peak on a beautiful summer day and making some art, not some time in the future, but right then and there! One enthusiastic participant dubbed it an “Enclave of Wonderment.”
Some of our visitors sought out the ArtVillage and stayed for hours, completing several art projects; some wandered by and stopped to move some magnetic poetry words on the “Irony Board” on the green lawn outside the ArtVillage door, then followed their curiosity inside. Visitors were invited to begin their visit with the 3 collaborative posters and 2 collaborative scrolls, a 1 or 2 minute time commitment!
The most popular activity was COLORING. Dr Mike’s art/coloring/history pages based on historic photos of Green Mountain Falls. All the pages of the book were available to begin coloring on the spot or to take home for a later art session. We also shared our amazing collection of kids simple and teen-and-up complex coloring books on an unexpected range of topics: from butterflies to Scandinavian designs to optical illusions to calligraphy cocktail recipes…
We used our glorious collection of non-messy art media - every kind of pen, marker and crayon including Japanese wabi tape - which was very popular for our “Tapestry of Stripes” scroll!
Visitor artists with interest and time were encouraged to explore and create art activities which take 5-20 minutes. These included:
~ We created over 50 pages of a collaborative illustrated children’s book based on the old song, “A Finding We Will Go.”
~ Over 30 artists collaborated on the Mystery Montage, with a big surprise once complete.
~ kids, teens, parents and kin were drawn to Po Projects, including “The Kindness Cube,” “Tummy Yummies art project and Tummy Yummies coloring book.
~One corner of the studio was the UFO assemblage workshop, dubbed “Area 7,800.” In this project, UFO means '“Unexpected Floating Objet d’art!” Visiting artists used junk parts to turn an old hubcap into a imaginary space vehicle. Once the kids discovered my supply of googly eyes, they made dozens of Extraterrestrials and robots which hang out on a floating disk!
~ We all loved Patrick Shearn’s Kinetic Poetics’ remarkable sculpture of 35,000 ribbons flowing and floating over Green Mountain Falls which adorned Gazebo Lake during the the Green Box Arts Festival and the summer of 2025. In homage to Poetic Kinetics, festivalgoers wrote on multicolor paper ribbons and positioned the ribbons on a “Monument of Gratitude to Our Mentors” and a “Monument of Affection to Our Muses.” Hundreds of polychromatic ribbons now adorn these monuments, honoring hundreds of wise people and ideas!
“The Monuments will visit future art events and together we will continue to write ribbons in honor of a Mentor and the Muse in our life - until the Monuments are bulging with honorary ribbons representing Wisdom Humans!
Bronc Day Festival
Saturday,July 25,2026
Green Mountain Falls
The 88th Annual Bronc Day Festival has been Green Mountain Falls’ traditional old-fashioned summer celebration since 1939. Bronc Day features a downhome parade, food trucks and booths featuring local products and organizations. Old-school kids games, a bounce house and a bubble-making zone enlivened Gazebo Park keep the fun rolling.
Beginning with a pancake breakfast, the heart of the celebration is the old-school parade at 10 AM.
After the parade, DrMike opened the ArtVillage - a final session for fans and repeat participants.
From noon until 1:30, oodles of kids and teens made oodles of bubbles, giant and tiny, led by DrMike, in Gazebo Park! A joyous time was had by all bubble-makers and spectators!
During the afternoon folk music concert at the Farm Stand, we sat in the ArtVillage studio and basked in the Po energy created by hundreds of creative, inspired Green Box Festivalgoer artists!