Live Painting Tour 2012: August Edition Part 1

"The way is in the heart."

Coursing through the summer mayhem, August perpetuated a creative exploration to close out the summer of 2012 properly. Before I set sail to Gnarnia The Festival, I spent a few days beachside in Virginia Beach working on a commission for my friend Dash who resides in the great music capita of Austin Texas. After many sandy afternoons, early sunny mornings and foggy evenings, this is "All Winds Point West".

"All Winds Point West" Painted in August 2012

Commission for Peter Dash

Process photographs of "All Winds Point West"

August 9th began my last leg of touring for the summer. That morning Thomas Robertson-Forest aka Goatfaced jumped aboard for our ride to the enchanting Beech Mountain in North Carolina for Gnarnia The Festival. With much mountain moisture in the air and a heavy rain that evening and sporadically over the whole weekend, painting was quite difficult. Though thanks to Jarred Trantham, we were able to be involved with the live art gallery which displayed over 30 artists from all over the country, facilitating a comfortable social environment for the Gnarnians' to enjoy a great variety of creativity.

Even though moisture held tight in the mountains, the cool weather was a great break from the usual humid summer conditions. During the day they had the ski lift opened for a beautiful ride to the top of the mountain which provided amazing view points of the Appalachian Mountains and the Tribal Council dome with many interactive and informative workshops everyday. Gnarly weather called for gnarly music and light shows. Android Jones displayed his visual projection performance called Phadroid on friday night which tantalized our eyes with graphics interweaving with a dancer. Even though live painting wasn't possible for most evenings due to drizzle and moisture, I still was able to start a new landscape painting and draw on a few bodies over the weekend!

Drawing on Morgan Miller

Body Art on Samantha Buerkley

If you were not able to make the festival and would like to get a better idea of the vibe and beautiful surroundings, you can check out my entire photo album from the weekend below!

Gnarnia Photo Album 

The following weekend I was graciously invited to be a crew member with the Silo Effect and attend Rootwire Music and Arts Festival as a guest artist. This festival is put together by the most heart centered band in the scene, Papadosio. Their bright influences of positive community and integrated creativity and expression was seen clearly throughout the tranquil grounds of Kaeppners Woods. The artist gallery this year consisted of many nationally recognized visionary painters who held workshops and discussions on top of performance painting each day. Also there were incredible projected visuals and light shows provided by Jason Takahashi, Dustin Klein and Herm Productions.

As the sun set Thursday evening and night fell upon us, I set up and painted on a platform right next to the stage during Silo Effect. Being this entwined with the action brings a motivating correlation to my performance, enabling myself to focus on producing within this intended moment. Here are a few shots of me painting that were captured over the Rootwire weekend.

Painting during the Silo Effect alongside Goatfaced.

Photo by Gavin Meyer

 

"Focus"

Photo by B.Hockensmith

"Passion is Purpose"

Photo by Jon Ohia

Also feel free to check out my entire Rootwire photo album at the link below.

Rootwire Photo Album

Thanks for checking out my latest update from this perplexed yet marvelous summer tour. Look out for Part 2 of the Live Painting Tour: August Edition to be published soon which will include the awaited final image of the "Rainbow Fish" painting from earlier this summer, the Camp Barefoot experience and reflective thoughts on this diligently active summer.

Chapin Mathews
9.9.12 ♥

"Every artist dips his brush in his own soul and paints his own nature..."

Henry Ward Beecher 

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