Happy New Year Hivers! As the months get colder here in Oregon I keep thinking back to our sunny summer and all the fun times I had this past year.
2023 was one of my most jam packed summers yet! As a traveling artist I travel all over the West Coast to festivals and events all summer where I set up a small art display and live paint for attendees at the events. I sell my art and prints while at these events live painting to make gas money and get to the next event plus keep myself fed (slightly important lol). If I'm lucky, I get the funds to make more art and keep going.
Back in May of 2023, I kicked off my summer circuit by attending as a live artist to Shabang Music Festival in San Luis Obispo in central California with 7,000 other attendees and crew. It truly is quite the experience to go to a festival on the other side of the party. There is a much tighter camaraderie amongst all the crew working together to make all the magic happen then if I would have attended just to enjoy and party the nights away with all the participants. This makes it all the more of a special experience.
I appreciate this festival for bringing in all local bands to perform and making a point of curating an all female art team. Shabang! Makes me smile big to see female representation like that in the art industry! Females can sometimes be overlooked or not taken seriously in the art world and it fills me with happiness to see a festival make a point to give a platform for women artists.
Every festival plays out differently; my set up is different, production crews are always different. I meet and hang out with different artists, I paint to different music and crowds. Its ever changing and it makes me excited to experience each one! It really keeps life fresh and fun. It inspires art pieces I would never make in my studio without immersing myself within that magical energy and music. I love what I do.
This festival was on a fairgrounds, an extremely hilly fairgrounds and I was placed to set up on the tallest and most farthest hill on the property. My car (aka home for the next three days) was over a mile away from my set up. It made for A LOT of walking all weekend. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. You always needs to be read to adapt. Being far from my car causes me to be away from my space more, but I do get a bunch more walking and exercise in, which when you sit for hours upon hours painting it helps to move that body more! And a positive outlook on it all helps as well. ;)
The plus side was I had the best far side view of the main stage. Far enough away to not kill my ear drums but close enough to hear, see and enjoy all the music they played all weekend. It also makes it easier to have meaningful conversations with viewers of my art, not having to yell over the deafening roar of the music. It creates a peaceful space for people to really dive into the art and enjoy it on another level.
This event was the first of many other events I traveled to this past year. I'll be posting more about my other art travels I took and my multi-state trip with 3 festivals in 3 week all in 3 different states! It was quite the journey!
Thanks for taking the time to read my story!
My set up this year at Shabang
I got to hang my art in a floating gallery wall with other artists
the piece I worked on through the weekend.
Me in front of the Shabang sign
Progress on the piece I was working on
Me on day 2 of the festival in front of my art
Some of the art I had on display in my set up area.
***all photos taken by me. Do not use without my permission.