Update on 2010 International Body Painting Art Festivals & Gatherings

I have updated the links on the many Festivals and Gathering of body painting artists for 2010. There are a few events which do have body painting but whose focus is much more about face art, those are not linked here. There are a few smaller events and I will continue to add them here - but for now I have listed the major happenings where  body artists can commune and spectators may see and experience body painting at it's best.

Ok So What Happened In Vegas?

I know your wondering....... gee Sweet Loretta what happened at the North American Body
Painting Championships? All I can say is what happens in vegas, stays........ Ok it really does end up on Facebook and Myspace!

I'll have to take my friend Craig's advise and "grow an ego" meaning I'll just have to get serious! However, I was not into painting that weekend, my heart was with my friends but not in my art - so I went and did my best to hold up the very bottom of the pack. If only the had been giving a finger painting award.......hey wait I do recall an abstract artist using real professional body makeup for the first time making it into the finals. I was the only artist competing who I heard say they liked the artwork... but see, so did the judges. Thankfully we do not all paint the same... now would that not just be so boring?

I was happy to see Scott Fray with his sidekick Foxy Moxy there. His work has a simplicity and to it, Craig Tracy called it tribal - not sure I can label it but it speaks to my soul. I really liked Sandra Gariby prelim artwork - very urban and very fresh - I knew her originality would place her into the finals. Of course there was so much more I loved. As in Austria more paintings in the finals there branding themselves - barf - love my friends hate it when they use this type of platform to brand themselves. Keep that at home for the marketing campaign - we get it! Give us your real art. I mean if you can only get photos here - then your not really doing enough body painting. Not all who paint bodies are body painters.........

I will say it was rockn' fun to see so much kindered talent in one place - as always a great group of amazing artists, seasoned and rising talents.

In all it was certainly a first event, some broken rules and a lack of follow through by the organizers, and as noted in another blog as there are politics in painting, no one wants to scold aloud a top talent, or point out that some noted ranking high again celebrity's again isn't really better than some one who ranked in the middle or that a new look albeit new - isn't necessarily good.
Ah art is indeed subjective - if you compete you must trust the judges and let it go, and if you grumble be willing to do so aloud. If you stay silent, improvements can not be made and we all lose. Growing an art form take - of god will I write it ... ok it takes a tribe. Be part of it in full it you really want to evolve... but I digress
..... and there were established painters who we don't normally see, who came out simply because there was a cash prize..... we all like money.....

in all it was simply a very good and wonderful event.

I've seen a few AP type blogs and photos around - but no better pictures than my friends and fellow artist Robbie Hay took of the finals on stage - I'll have to get those, but alas she is a bit computer naive and can't seem to figure it all out. I love her.

I will say the photographers did not show up and they - you guys really missed out!

Great art - my crummy pics - I always get to wrapped up to take photos! and I was dummping about 8,000 yes 8,000 face and body pics off my two computers and lost a few of these - but enjoy.

Well Who Do Voo Doo - We Do And We're Heading For Las Vegas

I spoke with my dear friend Mark Reid today as we continue to round up models for the North American Body Painting Championship. You can watch a live feed from the Flamingo Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV February 12-14, 2010. Seventy Artist slots were open to classic brush and airbrush body painting artists to compete for $24,000 in cash prizes. The theme for the preliminary round will be "Around the World". After a selective process by the judges, the final theme will be, "Evolution".

An elite panel of judges has been rounded up Alex Barendregt, Founder and Organizer of the World Body Painting Festival in Seeboden, Austria, Raphaelle and Gary Fieldhouse from Wales, Raphaelle is a two-time winning World Bodypainting Champion. Flippo Ioco and Craig Tracy body artists and often judges at World Body Painting Festival. And Nick Wolfe and Brian Wolfe, popular face art instructors, extreme artists and 2009 winners of the World Body Painting Festival.

While I do compete I do so more for the fellowship and the love of being with so much talent and the sheer fun of the yes, stressful at times, experience. With so many styles from abstract to realism, while techniques can be weighed, and certainly some artworks are more intricate then others ....... there is no doubt it is all about art from the artists heart and soul, and can that really be judged as one being better than the next? No matter, it will wow you and make your toes curl - this is a must see event. Get tickets now!


www.northamericanbpc.com


For a bit of fun artists, models and body painters are invited by one of my favorite brands - Mehron Makeup to an Opening Night After Party, 10 pm at Rio Hotel. A Voo Doo Theme, which will feature Master Body Painter and Mark Reid.

2010! Look Out The Artists Are Heating UP

Ok so it still cold - in fact I just read a facebook post from my friend Pam Trent who was chilly in Florida! Here it's cold but not exceedingly - enough to have my models standing on a heating pad at the photographer's studio - so cold is cold when your naked! So what do I mean we're heating up .............

Well if your a professional body painter you'll know that the art is growing and the bar for quality and awe factor is on the rise. And then too there are just so many artworks that no matter the style you like abstract, clothing, murals - you are gonna seen something you love this year.

And as I today received in the mail my Participation Certificate from the World Body Painting festival 2009 along with the Photo Award Catalog .......oh so beautiful..... I'll look around for a little countdown widget to the festival in 2010, the blogger one won't work for me!

Next month I head to the an international convention for face and body artists then to the North American Body Painting Championships and with artists coming from about 14 countries I be posting some, I'm sure, amazing living art works.

I am looking forward of course to seeing folks who have work you can see here 'cause we're a fun lively bunch.

Until then I am pondering who to write about........................

Pam Trent - A Working Artist

Today is my friend Pam's birthday, so this post is about her. Pam is a hard working artist, she puts out a good deal of the type of artworks the typical body painting artist creates. She paints for promotional releases, trade shows, charity events, all those "regular" places one might see body painting. And Pam is good. Her artworks leave aspiring working artists drooling. They seek to have her skills and they seek to have her jobs! She has been a true forerunner in this fast growing art form.

Pam inspired me early on to really become a more well rounded body artist. I remember having just been painting bodies in earnest for about a year and while I knew and had watched many known and great artists create in public, they were "celebrities" in the body painting community. I knew Pam by name and reputation, she was a mentor to many, and well know artist but perhaps not what one would call a celebrity.
I saw Pam creating this amazing artwork at a gathering of artists. There she was all by herself just painting away in this hotel lobby. I knew I didn't have the guts to be out there just painting as if it didn't matter - or even at that time the know how - I mean she had a beautiful model with these really amazing feather eyelashes - I mean where did you find all that!

Pam just made it look easy. She gave me the opportunity to meet so many more artists I met who inspired and have helped me grow my own artworks. Pam had passion and it showed and she has gifted that passion to many others.

Models love working with Pam and if you are a professional photographer in the Florida area (where Pam is now living) you will find yourself lucky to be shooting with Pam. Look her up at Way Wicked Art.

World Body Painting Festival Photography Awards 2009

I have prepared some posts on some great body painters so I will be doing much more during the fall and upcoming winter months, but....... The photography awards have been announced for the 2009 World Body Painting Fest - and two photos ranking #2 and #5 in the Classic Photos show he wonder painting by Mark Reid and assisted by me, modeled by the very talented Viktoria. Well worth your taking a look at those and at the digitally enhanced photos.

One award was entered in the classic but judges thought it to digitally worked to qualify. However it was the judges favorite and they awarded a special award. I am delighted to note it is my friends, artist Susie Peirce and model Aeir. The photo was taken by Thomas Froehlich.

Go see the photos at the WBPF web site - a link is to the side here.
I track down and add the winning photographers links too.

Here it is that special judges award photo.

Best of Special Effects World Body Painting Festival

Now the Special Effects Competition is mind blowing fun. Here's Ulf Scherlings images from the World Body Painting Festival. Se them all at http://www.bodypainting-festival.com/

Best of Airbrush World Body Painting Festival 2009

More great photographs from Ulf Scherling. Here are images from the Airbrush Competition. Again se all Ulf's "Best of" at http://www.bodypainting-festival.com