Forrest Fenn (b.1931) is an American art collector, art dealer, archeologist and former United States Air Force Pilot. He lives and works in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Fenn is quite the character in his own right. A few years back, Fenn was diagnosed with a terminal illness. His reaction to this news was to write a memoir. Within the closing pages of his memoir "Thrill of the Chase" is a poem. This poem holds the nine clues to the location of an old world bronze lock box full of gold. The chest and it's contents weighing 42 lbs. Worth $2-3 million. Fenn has stated that the Trove has been deposited north of Santa Fe, New Mexico in the Rocky Mountains. The vast searching area is greater than 380,000 square miles.

A friend told me about Forrest Fenn after we talked about a project that I had just finished titled Captain KYD (b.1645) in 2012. In similar fashion I produced a series of paintings that referenced Captain William Kidd, and his adventures on the high seas. The KYD paintings hold the clues to the location of a trove that I deposited in the area where Captain Kidd allegedly buried his treasure 300 years before.

Upon learning of Forrest Fenn and his lock box, I felt I was the perfect candidate for finding his gold. I've had experience digging holes and leaving my own troves behind and I'm always looking for a hike. I quit my job at the time, spent a month learning as much as I could about the character of Fenn and read his poem countless times. After studying maps for days, I felt that I was on the right track. Using Google Earth, I found a rock formation in Yellowstone National Park that I felt showed promise. Then set out for the Rockies.

I constructed a box of my own, gathered and created an assortment of artefacts of my own. The plan was to do the 'ol switcharoo', take his box and leave mine behind. There were a couple of occasions when I had to duck my head into small caverns. Heart pounding, not from fear of a snake bite or a mountain lion taking my face off, but of what I'm going to do with all this gold. Unfortunately, my time was limited in the area that I believed his gold lay. Haven't cashed in quite yet. Although, the adventure itself was worth it's weight in gold for me. I honestly feel that I'm still on the right track, I just need to spend some more time in the area. Which I have plans to do.


The Painting 'Warm Waters Halt' references Forrest Fenn's life, his gold and his poem. The Painting references Yellowstone National Park, the mystical geography, the natives and the early pioneers that inhabited that region of the West. Warm Waters Halt holds the clues to where my trove was deposited and references some of the experiences I had while on the hunt.

Forrest Fenn is alive and well and has beaten his diagnosis by close to a decade.


His poem below:


As I have gone alone in there
And with my treasures bold,
I can keep my secret where,
And hint of riches new and old.

Begin it where warm waters halt
And take it in the canyon down,
Not far, but too far to walk.
Put in below the home of Brown.

From there it's no place for the meek,
The end is ever drawing nigh;
There'll be no paddle up your creek,
Just heavy loads and water high.

If you've been wise and found the blaze,
Look quickly down, your quest to cease,
But tarry scant with marvel gaze,
Just take the chest and go in peace.

So why is it that I must go
And leave my trove for all to seek?
The answer I already know,
I've done it tired, and now I'm weak.

So hear me all and listen good,
Your effort will be worth the cold.
If you are brave and in the wood
I give you title to the gold.