n
e
Artists & Authors
pieces of his art they had purchased as
mementos of an American original. Illinois
Times asked Waldmire’s friend and fellow
artist, Bill Crook, to pen his thoughts:
Bob Waldmire introduced me to Route 66.
I was lucky enough to accompany him as he
was driving his school bus/studio/home from
Illinois to Arizona on Route 66 in the mid1990s. Bob had his itinerary all planned
out with stops at numerous attractions. We
averaged about 100 miles a day, leaving
plenty of time to draw and visit his many
friends along the way. Bob knew all the good
spots to pull over and sleep. It was a fun
way to see the real and forgotten America
— mom-and-pop businesses, tourist courts
and roadside attractions. In Oklahoma City,
a restaurant owner called Bob the “mayor of
Route 66.” I became a Route 66-er myself
on that trip and published my own series of
Route 66 postcards featuring watercolor
sketches that I made during our travels.
Bob has carved a unique career for himself
as an artist. His media are pamphlets, posters
and postcards. He is a traveling educator,
spreading his philosophy of respect for the
earth, all living things and all the historic
Continued Next Page
ARTISTS & AUTHORS
Produced & Printed In The USA • Keeping You On The Mother Road • 2012-2013
27