Live Art: Evolution of Expression Tour 2012 Part 1

"Do the thing you fear and the death of fear is certain."

Emerson

The adventure is the destiny. 

Live painting is a dream job! And at the same time it's a full time job without hourly pay. Yet, the benefits go beyond monetary gain at times. Traveling across the country and sharing my art work with numbers of diverse communities is any artists dream. The adventures that take place during time off and the work done behind the scenes to be able to perform and showcase at these events is where the magic happens. It's a great deal of work that is rewarded with great opportunity. 

This years summer tour is my second and most ambitious yet. Starting with Karma Music and Arts Festival held in Moorehead, Ky, our artist collective came together for the first time including Rae Vena, Thomas Robertson-Forrest and myself. The breeze was cool and the rain held off till the last evening to produce a successful experience in the beautiful Kentucky mountains. 

As I stated in the last publishing, I started a piece based upon a design interpretation and personal vision of the Sun. As we course through spring and into summer, we receive a rejuvenation of sunshine which produces natures blossoms and peaking hormonal levels in humans and animals. After working on "Son of Sun" during all of Karma and into SummerCamp, here is the final product.

"Son of Sun"

Painted at Karma Music and Arts Festival and Summer Camp Music Festival 2012

Sold

Prints Available for $10 plus Shipping

Inquire at chapinmathews@gmail.com

 Thomas Robertson-Forrest and I live painting at Karma Music and Arts Festival.

This year was my first Summer Camp Music Festival experience. Live painting is an untapped expression at this event which made our gallery set up and performing even more purposeful. The community was very receptive to the work and it felt accomplishing to spread live painting further into the music scene. "Son of Sun" was finished and "Vision Paradise" was started during the busy weekend. I would like to thank the "Soulshine" tent for giving us the opportunity to set up our work and enjoy the number of entertaining shows and events they held all weekend.

Our live art gallery in the Soulshine Tent at Summer Camp Music Festival including Rae Vena and Thomas Robertson-Forrest.

Painting "Son of Sun" at SummerCamp Music Festival

This year at Wakarusa, I was involved with the live artist gallery directed by Michael Garfield which included 15 talented artists from all over the country. A gallery with such a creative community conspired a busy social hub, enabling the audience to meet the artists, view the work and share perspectives. Using a rack, my gallery set up stuck out one of the entrances to entice everyone to come over and investigate.

 Gallery set up at Wakarusa Music Festival.

Painting during Papadosio at Wakarusa Music Festival

By the end of Wakarusa, I finished "Vision Paradise" which expresses a dream of personal nirvana. Whether it be a "place" or "space in your mind", we all can relate with meditating on somewhere or something that comforts us. The ocean is a personal and centering place for myself. Since early childhood, I have held a close connection with the ocean and what it has to teach us. Beyond it's beauty and illusion of infinity, the sound teaches the voice of nature and the motion shows the power and movement of a wave. "Vision Paradise" expresses these bits of perspectives into a landscape that flows in balance and movement, exploiting natures simple pleasures.

"Vision Paradise"

Painted at Summer Camp Music Festival and Wakarusa Music Festival 2012

For Sale: Base Price $400

Prints Available for $10 plus Shipping

Inquire at chapinmathews@gmail.com

Process Photos of "Vision Paradise"

Thanks for taking your time to catch up on my assiduous schedule during tour and peak into all the work I have been doing thus far. Thanks for all the support during this journey and I look forward to having many more beautiful and creative experiences during these next few events.

 I will be performing at these festivals during the next three weeks:

June 15th-17th: Impluse Music and Arts Festival held on Durhamtown Plantation Resort in Union Point, Georgia.

June 21st-24th: Sonic Bloom Festival held on Shadows Ranch in Georgetown, Co

June 28th-30th: Nomadic Roots Festival at The Cove Campground in Gore, Virginia

Stay posted for the next publishing on these events in early July...

Chapin Mathews

6.14.12 ♥

"The finest qualities of nature, like the bloom on fruits, can be preserved only by the most delicate handling. Yet we do not treat ourselves nor one another thus tenderly."

Thoreau

Two New Live Paintings, First Guitar Painting, STELLAIRE Graphic and LVR Portrait Series

"There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth. Not going all the way, and not starting."

~Siddhartha~

When one can escape the everyday life for just a short time and explore the inner realities of dreams and passions, new realities are born. Traveling through Colorado in March with Derek VanScoten brought an inner peace as I experimented on the canvas in 4 towns for 4 consistent nights. "Follow Your Dreams" expresses the connections, inspirations and insights I had through out the tour.

"Follow Your Dreams"

Painted during:

Malakai, Derek VanScoten and Polish Ambassador at Three20South

in Breckenridge, Co 3.14.12

Derek VanScoten and OTT at the Aggie Theatre in Ft. Collins, Co

3.15.12

Govinda, Derek VanScoten and OTT at the Summit Music Hall

in Denver, Co 3.1612

Benny Loco, Derek VanScoten and The Polish Ambassador

at the Fox Theatre in Boulder, Co 3.17.12

For Sale: Base Price $350 Inquire at chapinmathews@gmail.com

Malakai, or Kai, came to me after the tour in request for a piece of art on an electric guitar he is rebuilding. I gladly jumped on the project and had an enjoyable, experimental first time painting on a guitar. Here is a photograph of the guitar finished with more photos available for your viewing pleasure on this album. Also, feel free to check out Malakai's music here!

"Kai" Painted by Chapin Mathews April 2012

In support for my friend Missy Stewarts hoop group, I created this graphic for their latest promo. STELLAIRE will be performing at the Jacksonville Superfest in Florida April 13th-15th. I wish you all the best of luck!

"STELLAIRE" by Chapin Mathews 4.6.12

The LVR Portrait Series is a photo concept comparing and expressing the contrast of the left and right sides of the brain or cerebral hemispheres connected by the corpus callosum. With the winter beard in full bloom, I shaved half my face to reflect these ideals and characteristics we associate with the two sides of the brain. Below is one of five photographs taken and edited by Joe Zalan. The whole series can be viewed at the LVR Portrait Series album here.

Chapin Mathews March 2012

" It is my purpose in this life to share my creative passions with the human race and inspire others to help cultivate the creative revolution needed in society."

Quote from Artist Statement 2012 CM♥

Upon my arrival to Colorado back in September, life has brought many surprises and changes which is expected to come when moving 1,800 miles. In October 2011 I started my first Colorado piece, "Kabudachi", which stands for a particular bonsai tree that has multiple trunks all growing from the same point, or root. I slowly worked on this piece at live performances and in the studio from October 2011 to April 2012, conveying the evolving emotional changes I went through during my locational change . Here is the final image of "Kabudachi". All forms growing from one point!

"Kabudachi"

Painted during:

Michael Garfield and other local electronic artists at Cervantes Masterpiece

in Denver, Co 10.25.11

Michael Garfield at the Aspen Lodge in Estes Park, Co

10.28.11

Virtual Boy, The Malah and Papadosio at the Summit Music Hall

in Denver , Co 12.9.11

Studio 2012

Sold

In a final conclusion, I am ecstatic to announce the beginning blooms of my 2012 summer tour with the addition as an official live painter at Wakarusa Music festival. This has been a dream of mine for quite some time and I am excited to collaborate on this voyage with so many other beautiful artists. You can check out the rest of my summer tour in the section labeled Schedule 2012 to the right. Many more additions are to come and I appreciate all the support and positive energy I have been receiving these past few weeks.

Thanks for tuning in and look forward to more production and tour information in the coming weeks. Aloha!

Chapin Mathews

4.8.12 ♥

"If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present."

~Lao Tzu~

The Remaining Summer Saga

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." Lao Tzu

When I look back on the summer of 2011, "blessed" is the first word that comes to mind. As I sat all winter and spring in my office job I never could have imagined that becoming unemployed would open the opportunity to spread my soul through a passionately creative journey across the country. All together from May to August I traveled over 12,000 miles, performance painted 6 music festivals and another dozen individual shows. From all the places I visited, the people were the best part. Those beautiful souls I gratefully met built a bright fire in my soul. No matter how simple our encounter, you positively affected my life and I hope to have in exchange done the same for you.

Last post I left off in early July at a small show I performed in Norfolk Virginia. About a week after the Norfolk show I embarked for my first "burn" experience at a festival called Transformus outside of Asheville North Carolina. If you are unfamiliar with the "burn" term, you may be more familiar with the event called Burning Man. Burning Man is a week long event held in the desert of Nevada creating the second largest city, Black Rock City, in the state for only a short period of time and then vanishes till the next year. A simple explanation of the purpose and concept behind Burning Man is community and participation. Bringing people together to not only enjoy the event but to create it as well.

Michael Garfield lecturing at Burning Man 2011

Participants on the macro level of the event are artist, musicians and organizers that provide unique characteristics to the festival such as art installations, live music, and various body, mind and spiritual lectures and events at what are called "theme camps" which are laid throughout the grounds with overlapping schedules. Everyone is encouraged to be a participant on any level possible and usually most of the people are successful in providing an interesting piece to the puzzle as most of the festival is enjoyed by visiting the mass number of theme camps created. The main event in the week though is on the last night of the event when the burning of the "man" is initiated. This years burning "man" was 104 feet tall! The center piece of the city that is practically worshiped throughout the week is burnt as a sign of an ending to a new beginning. This concept of the burning is understood as a time of renewing. Letting go of what we may or may not cherish to create a spiritually refreshing experience in our lives.

So after many years of the original Burning Man, "burns" have developed all over the country providing the same principles as Burning Man on a smaller, less populated level which opens an opportunity for these principles to spread further than the Nevada event. Transformus was a very new festival experience for me. I noticed most that instead of a main stage with bands and main acts like most music festivals, the whole festival ground was the main act. It was for you, the participant, to discover where and what to experience through visiting all the theme camps. Gifting is also a major part of the burn community. Not only did I receive a wide variety of gifts ranging from food to a new outfit from the costume theme camps, I gifted many pieces of glass jewelry, food, painting and great connections with the people I met all weekend.

Anticipating the burn!

And it begins....

Wallflower perspective of the main burn. So capturing.

My return from Transformus inspired my spiritual vision. I was determined to put as much focus and motivation as possible to expand my live painting schedule for the summer. I quickly got booked to paint Nomadic Roots Festival which was two weeks after Transforums in Gore Virginia. Meeting many great folks alongside my buddy Thomas who came and painted as well, I created two paintings over the course of three days that felt as a relief to manifest.

"The Maze Follows" Painted 7.28-29.11

Sold

Prints $10

"Freedom" Painted 7.30.11

Original For Sale, Inquire By Email For Pricing

Prints $10

One week after Nomadic Roots Festival I traveled with the Silo Effect to Logan Ohio for the Rootwire Music Festival held by Papadosio. This weekend I wanted to not only explore the incredible line up of musicians and lectures provided but also create one concise painting that evolved over the weekend. After painting at 8 sets over the course of two days, "The Path to Rootwire" was created and in my eyes opened a path to combining styles I had been only working on separately which in many ways worked well and was a clear evolution in my work.

"The Path to Rootwire" Painted 8.5-6.11 to Michael Garfield, D.V.S*, Emancipator, Silo Effect, The Malah, Papadosio, Damn Right and Invisible Allies

Sold

Prints $10

Shortly after Rootwire I was lucky enough to paint at the National again on August 12th for Boombox with the help of my buddies the Silo Effect who were opening up. A reunion for many of us who spent time together at Rootwire enjoying the moment and anticipating what was left for summer.

For the past few years there has been no better way for me to wrap up the summer then to attend Camp Barefoot Music Festival now held in Bartow West Virginia. Last year was the first festival I was ever an official live painter at so it was great to return again this year with a surprising growth in the number of live painters. There were close to a dozen artist this year compared to three from last year. I received the same creatively communal vibe this year as I did at Sonic Bloom Festival that I spoke of in the last post. It's quite moving to see such a large group of young people taking their part in the scene in providing visual art.

From my first festival encounter this summer with Thomas at Ad Astra Festival in June where it was only the two of us, to these larger numbers of creative minds joining collectively, it has been a blessing to be a part of this current movement of live painting. To know that Camp Barefoot was an ending to the most incredible creative summer I have experienced yet was in a way saddening but also created an ending for a new beginning just like the concept of a burn. It allowed me to purge past certain creative limits and reach new levels of creative consciousness. Running now with the concise vision I had discovered at Rootwire lent to a more peaceful and confident experience in performing.

"Augmented Senses" Painted 8.18-19.11

Sold

Prints $10

Collaboration between Thomas Robertson-Forrest and Chapin Mathews 8.18.11 at Camp Barefoot Music Festival

Donated

Process photo by Julie Steinberg from CB5 on 8.20.11

Continued at Silo Effect on 9.3.11

Still in Progress and For Sale

Taking you back to the last post I spoke at length about my wonderful experience as a performance painter at the Sonic Bloom Music Festival. Thanks to Michael Garfield, here is a montage video from the weekend which captures the experience quite well. There are a few clips of me working alongside the rest of the productive live painting crew.

Thank you all for taking the time to read and catch up on my rigorous schedule as an artist this summer. Blessed we all shale be to have the opportunity to experience such collaboratively creative events on an annual basis. Before I end I would also like to turn your attention to my soundcloud website where I post my music recordings. I have been spending an abundance of time recording written and improvisational tracks all summer and have started to post some of the recordings. "Move", "Auto Interlude" and "Sweet Summer Nectar" are recently posted tracks. All tracks are downloadable. I hope you enjoy. The next post will include many photos, videos and stories from my move across the country from Richmond Virginia to Boulder Colorado. 4 days of driving, 3 nights of camping and a mind expanding perspective of the land we call home. As well as some of the new creative experiences I am having in the rocky state thus far.

Thank you for all your support and stay creative!

Chapin Mathews

"When you are everywhere, you are nowhere. When you are somewhere, you are everywhere." Rumi