Ahoy! I’m Townes Holiday Hetzer AKA Captain Townes. I’ve been enamored with all things seafaring for as long as I can remember. When I was 4 years old my family took a trip to Holden Beach, NC where I became the proud owner of one tourist beach store captain’s hat. After 10 years of constant use, that hat has seen better days and doesn’t really fit my head anymore; but it became a staple in my life which has simultaneously led me into pursuing getting my captain’s license and learning to sail. My love for the ocean and all things nautical has greatly influenced another area of my life…art! From the time I could hold a drip marker it’s kinda been my thing. Around 2021 I started getting serious about making art. I was already interested in sewing and I came across Thomas Campbell’s art and it really inspired me to merge sewing with my paintings. My parents both worked in the skateboard/ snowboard industries and have introduced me to the culture and that has also helped to shape and influence my ideas on art and design.
I recently turned 16 and I have never been to school a day in my life. Instead, I have pursued knowledge, learned from living and having experiences. For a while, we traveled all over the country in a 40 ft bus. We now live on 17 acres in the north Florida wilderness. Along with painting and sewing, I spend most of my time creating stuff like boardgame ideas, ceramics, ikebana arrangements and sailors valentines. When I’m not creating - I’m gardening, reading, petting cats, horseback riding or sailing. Don’t worry, I still manage to keep up with math and all the academic stuff.
I feel like I have a unique perspective to share through my art. Here is my artist statement: (Cont. in comments)
I’m very excited to have won 1st place youth division and best young artist in the Sanibel Shell Show for the second year in a row with my latest sailor’s valentine. Thank you to all the shell artists that have given me advice and the people who make the shell show possible. Being a part of this community is so special. 🫶 I plan on returning for many years to come.
🐚⚓️🌊💙
The Tide is High But I’m Holding On (2026)
Sailor’s Valentine
Seashells in recycled skateboard
wood frame
12x12 in
SOLD
I’ve loved horses for as long as I can remember and have been riding weekly for the last 5 years, so working on a horse themed project was bound to happen. In early 2025 I approached two of my favorite artists, Andrea Murphy and Ben Brough, about collaborating on a piece that ties together our mutual love for horses and the American West, and amazingly both Andrea and Ben said yes without hesitation.
I met Ben during his artist residency @hotelpalms where he showed me his work and drew in my art journal. He was super cool to me with no reason to be, truly an awesome artist and person. I’ve never met Andrea in person, only ever messaged over Instagram, but she’s always been very nice, even sending me a deck of playing cards with her art on them. I am obsessed with playing cards, I probably have over 20 decks with different art on all of them ranging from the Beatles to a Swiss deck with foreign suits, so giving me playing cards is a sure way to my heart.
Last year I did two collaboration pieces, both of which I absolutely loved making so when I decided I wanted to make another collaboration piece, I thought who better than two of my favorite artists? And with both of their art styles having a lot of western influence, I thought what better than making horses? I named the piece “Vieques” after an island in the Caribbean that’s home to thousands of wild horses. A few weeks ago it debuted along side my most recent collection “Saint Somewhere” at the Hotel Palms annual holiday market.
If you share my love for horses and all things nautical, this piece might have been made just for you. If you’re interested in the piece, please DM me.
Thank you so much Andrea and Ben for making this collaboration become a reality. Both of their Instagrams are linked below. @andreamurphyart@benbrough33
Fare winds and following seas! #captaintownes #horseart #createeveryday #art
Probably two best friends or mates, perhaps partners standing tall through the storms of life. Beaten but not broken. Memories sewn together. Coconut palms dipped in a little ocean commotion. Because sometimes two are better than one. Like a scoop of ice cream in your affogato.
One of my favorite pieces so far. I really like the way the shells turned out in the frame.
If you need a pair of palms to grace your life and remind you that you have each other - dm me to start the convo or go to my website and subscribe to my newsletter to find out more about my upcoming collection. Link in bio.
A two-toned Ricky Ricardo jacket (2025)
Quilted double palm with porcelain tile shell frame
Mixed media
29x32 in
SOLD
#captaintownes #createeveryday #art #palmbeachstyle #emergingartist
Close your eyes and imagine napping in a hammock under a coconut palm on a tropi-cool island in St. Somewhere.
You’re Welcome 😎🌴🌊🌸⚓️
Lone Palm (2025) St. Somewhere
Quilted large palm with Japanese porcelain tile and shell frame
Mixed media
30x21.5in
SOLD
#emergingartist #palmbeachstyle #captaintownes #art #createeveryday
My flip flops gave out on me the other day, signaling the official start of my next collection. Stay tuned 🌴🌊⚓️
Both sold pieces from my 2025 collection St. Somewhere
#createeveryday #captaintownes #palmbeachstyle #emergingartist #art
Being home, back in my studio - I can’t help but look back on what’s gotten me to today and the people that have encouraged and lifted me up along the way. 🌸 A healthy dose of gratitude 🙏 is definitely being poured into my next collection. In the coming months, I will be creating a brand new cohesive collection of tropical goodness. 🌴 If you’re a fan of my handmade porcelain tiled frames, there’s still time to get on my commission list for a few more weeks or DM me your email and I’ll add you to my newsletter for information about my next collection. 📸 of @lucas_beaufort 🌸🙏
#captaintownes #art #emergingartist #createeveryday #unschool
Living in Florida, I don’t get to snowboard much, normally just one trip for a couple days a year. Occasionally, a second single day trip somewhere small. With having a year in between each trip it always feels like starting over - learning again to a degree. My first trip this year was the same as usual, a quick trip to @appalachianskimtn and @beechmtn for 2 days. Started out sliding around and getting comfortable again and by the time I felt confident and like I could start trying new things it was time to leave. However, I just returned from @laax Switzerland and I feel like this trip really made a difference for me. I spent five days there and got to snowboard every one of them. Something really clicked this time and having a decent amount of days in a row really helped. I even got a lesson from @seb_fam who was super cool and helpful. It was also my first time getting to ride on real powder. We had snow every single day we were there, it was so deep and awesome. Beyond the snowboarding itself, the entire experience at LAAX was incredible. I’m spoiled by the lift luxury - disembarking from the lift is like a stroll in the park. They are so well groomed and flat that you can basically walk off the end. Unlike some spots in the States where it can be utter chaos. Plus heated seats, What! Between the gondolas and the tram one never has to experience being uncomfortable. One of them even has a control panel at the base where you can choose exactly which stop you want without slowing down and waiting at all the other stops along the way. Then there’s the food aspect. All the food situations are far superior to anything I’ve experienced in the States. @caffe.noname is my favorite. It’s definitely the place to be when you’re not doing runs. This place kills it with local fresh, organic pastries and the coffee is super legit. Another great spot is this place about half way up the mountain. They serve real food not the cafeteria junk you’d normally find and although my food allergies keep me from most fun beverages, the Swiss have this sparkling apple drink called SHORLEY that’s awesome and totally fine for me. There’s nowhere quite like Laax. Cont. in comments…
I spent the past week in Switzerland, @laax to be specific and it was incredible. I went for a snowboarding event called The Common Line - (see my last couple posts) but for a quick rehash it’s a celebration and discussion of the community of snowboarding. I was invited by @lucas_beaufort the creator of @the_common_line__ great artist and friend, to paint live on blank snowboards with him and @atelier.fff@kevintrammer and @akaschwartz I’d never done any painting or art in general live in front of people before and was a bit nervous but it turned out to be an incredible experience. All the other artists were awesome and it was great to meet and paint alongside them. Prior to the painting however, there was a round table discussion with people from all parts of the snowboarding industry, pros, media, photographers and company owners. Hearing the perspectives of such a varied group was very insightful. One of the parts I found most interesting was their short discussion of AI, of which I am NOT a fan, and the problems it causes in the artistic side of snowboarding. @akaschwartz take was the one I tend to agree with the most, being that it’s a problem but also that we should not lose faith. There’s a creative human component that burns bright beneath the culture of snowboarding. Which I believe will prove harder to extinguish than in other arenas. Quite frankly, it’s the part of snowboarding that resonates with me the most. The common line created the perfect culmination, joining the sport and art into community. One of the highlights of the whole evening was getting to meet @gigiruf the owner of @slashsnow He won one of the boards we painted in the raffle. I was super stoked to be able to snag a picture of me with him and the board he won. Not only did I get to leave my mark behind on snowboards but snowboarding has definitely left a more permanent mark on me. -Captain Townes #thecommonline #snowboardingisfun #captaintownes #laax
There’s plenty of spectacular places to go snowboarding but Laax has our hearts in a big way. Living in Florida means we travel for snow. ❄️ Yes, we could go out west but honestly the vibes at Laax are just better. No lines, no crowds, a third of the price for lift tickets, organic coffee on the hill and a big favorite is the gondola/ tram and bubble cover lift situations that make us Floridians smile big! If you’re looking to up your ski/snowbord trip game next year - try Laax - we promise you’ll love it too! 🖤👊🖤
Shout out to
@riders_hotel@laax@the_common_line__@beyondmedals@akaschwartz@ki__ar_a@freestyleacademy_laax
#snowboarding #thecommonline #ridershotel #laax #captaintownes
I was (am being) raised by snowboarders. Snowboarding videos playing on the tv, snowboarding magazines stacked on the coffee table, and some new piece of gear is almost always part of Christmas. My second birthday was on the deck at Big Bear. Had we not moved away from California when I was 4 maybe I would have turned out a super shredder… Lol. Life happens though and we traveled extensively over the next 5 years but we never really lived by mountains again (actually we now live in Florida) and that put a damper on my snowboarding future. Although we didn’t spend a lot of days on the hill every year, snowboarding became a sacred ritual for/on my birthday. You see- my Jan. 4 birthday is on the heels of my mom’s Jan 2 birthday and we have basically merged those into a snowboarding trip every year of my life except one. The few trips I get are always a highlight of the year. My dad used to work in snowboarding and has been in love with doing the shredding part since he was younger than me. His efforts to pass his skills onto me have been so so, but he has managed to pass on his deep love for the culture and community that makes snowboarding more than just a sport. Team sports like baseball or soccer have never interested me all that much. Competition isn’t all that appealing to me. It’s the creative aspect of snowboarding that resonates, the connection to art sets it apart. I love everything from the board graphics to the communal energy that radiates from the people who share the stoke of sliding down the mountain. I may not be the best snowboarder but snowboarding is one of the best parts of my life. I’m super excited to be in Laax again, to meet new people, have new experiences, make more art and be part of the common line. @the_common_line__
See you in Laax
#captaintownes #laax #thecommonline #snowboarding #art @laax
