Clown Door Confidential

The one and only clown door! It remained pretty much as I had left it thanks to the curse I placed on it it before I took off. You learn a thing or two watching those "Mummy" movies.




At Winter Quarters in December of 2000 adding a bit more to the door.


During the train runs for my first tour with the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus I decided to paint portraits of clowns on the door to my roomette. It was a great way to pass the time on the longer train runs but a real challenge when the train tracks were a little rougher.

During the time we were away from the show I forgot all about it so I was very surprised to find out that the my "clown door" was still there five years later... but not for long. At that point in time most of the train cars had been totally redone which meant no more wood paneling, wood doors, etc. It seems kind of nutty when I think about it now but I couldn't leave the door at Winter Quarters to be taken far from the presence of any clown.

So one dark and stormy night a few of the hardier souls of clown alley went on a rescue mission on the old "clown train car" the night before the destruction would begin. Dressed in our stealthiest attire and armed with our trusty acme clown toolbox we gained access to the car via the unlocked door that also happened to be slightly ajar. Now the real work was about to begin. After a quick brainstorming session it was decided that the best way to remove the sliding door to my old roomette was to remove the wall encasing it. "Capitol idea, Stanley!" "If you do say so myself, Ollie. " Somehow, after some serious elbow grease and a healthy dose of expletives, we managed to remove the door and take it to its new home in Clown Alley. We sang a glorious victory song as we carried it back in triumph.

When the tour started we had to find a space to pack it because it would be on tour with us and reside in the alley each and every town. It had its proper place of honor in the alley and we would occasionally sacrifice a birthday party clown to it as needed. I also managed to add a few
more portraits to it but haven't touched it since then.

The door lives in our garage now and though only a few select clown buddies get to see it, it could make it's way back to the road if ever we get the hankerin' to again someday.