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

Best Of Images Sponge and Brush World Body Painting Festival 2009

Each year I wait to look through the "Best Of" images from the World Body Painting Festival. I love to to see all the artists with there models. The beautiful and wonderfully painted models posing with the paint stained and tired artists. Especially wonderful are the images by Ulf Sherling. Here are pictures taken by Ulf. Please go see more at http://www.bodypainting-festival.com.

Candid Shots From Seeboden

Here are some pictures of the back of the body art we painted and some fun shots by winners Brian Wolfe and Nick Wolfe. The first is their prelim artwork and the second with the dinosaurs and diamond is their final #1 winning artwork. I love these guys but I in all honesty thought the diamond was a bit of a retaliatory statement on their old company and a bit of a shameless plug for their new makeup sponsors. But we all have and get to make our own statements as artists. Just seems that as your first big win this maybe isn't in the long run the statement you'd want to make. But that's me. No one can deny that their artwork was amazing, as were so many. I'll post more soon.

Fun And Fifth From Seeboden

Well working with Mark Reid was a blast.
I am slammed for time but will post candid pictures later tonight.

The World Gears Up

Well the time is near and many I know are gearing up to head to Austria for the World Body Painting Festival. The Festval week runs July 13th thru 19th. There are workshops and competition, and side events with 40 nations represented.
This year's themes for Friday and Saturday is Poetry: the power of words and Sunday is Spirituality - beyond the physical world.

Check out more on the Festival web site

http://bodypainting-festival.com/general/festival-2009.html

Mark Reid's Laughter

Mark Reid has the best laugh. It's real and it rolls...... and in his rise as a successful painter and instructor in face and body art..... he's laughing even more these days.

He is one of those artist that it just flows from him - a god given gift. And he shares that gift by showing others how to paint. Mark spent years a single dad, he has three children and now grandchildren and he had spent his fair time clipping coupons so yes he's due.

Years ago I took Mark's first class, then a year later I took another private class with him - and darn it to this day if I don't hear him in my ear as I paint....
I prefer to hear him in my head yelling .."Loretta...." across a ballroom or club crowded with body painters and models..... as I ever sooo slowing respond. I guess the superstar thing hasn't awed me as it has others. Mark is Mark, full of laughter and beautiful images.

The Amazing Craig Tracy

I had a wonderful call today from artist Craig Tracy. If you love body art paintings like I do you can not but love the artworks created by Craig. His fine art can be purchases in his art gallery Painted Alive aka Craig Tracy Gallery in the French Quarter. If you're in that area it is a must stop place to shop.

When I first met Craig was able to spend a few days with him and I came away truly more centered as an artist, as I love to create body art paintings but too I love creating mixed medium artworks. In spending time with Craig who is an artist in his very fiber and soul I knew I had to find my real art, the art that inspired my soul and tingles my fibers.

He is not a humble man, he is outspoken and says it like it is. I like that. He is a strong man, a strong artist, a sensitive artist moved by the art of others and who lives to create and move this art form forward, for the love of art.

Lest You Think It's T & A

"Sun"
Body Paint and Photography By Craig Tracy
Painted on body painter, MUA and model, Stephaine Dalvit with her new son Presley

So I am busy busy busy..... but too I have been communicating with some painters in order to post some info about them and some of their tall tales.

I had interresting talk to day with a photographer I respect. One who is a master at photgraphing the nude or painted body. And it is not about T&A and if you see some blogs aroound - you know that's for them exacting what the are using these images for The T&A to seel whatever they are hawking at you.

Here's am image I hope you love as I do - proving for me the art I love is really that - Art.

Festivals and artists

I'll continue to post abut the various and growing events and festivals where artists gather to paint but I must begin to show some of these amazing talents....... oh my where and with who do I start.

Across The Pond

Another great event is the Welsh Face and Body Art convention in where else - Wales.
A friendly bunch this event produced some amazing artworks and no doubt will continue to grow. They are set to gather again in August 2009.

Body Art From The Aussies

The first convention for face anf body artists in Australia was held this year.
Called the Wonder Down Under it sounds like it was a good deal of fun - of course!
Can't wait to hang and paint with these artists. Looks like we'll have to wait until September 2009.

The Odessey In Face And Body Art

The newest event on the block is Bodyessy Con which will be held in Toronto this April.
Another convention for face and body artists to gather learn and share, this one will be showcasing some amazing talents. Be sure to come back in mid-April to see photographs of some of the artworks created there.

It's Not All About The Body

Most events where body artists gather to learn, compete and just plain show off are not festivals or all about body painting at all. Some are more convention-like. Currently the premier event in the USA is the Face And Body Art International Convention. The convention started in 2001 and continues today holding workshops and competitions for face painting, body painting and henna. The event is held each May in Orlando, Florida.


I love going here to see so many close and talented friends.

Canadian Body Painting Festival

A newcomer the Canadian Body Painting Festival will hold it's next event in September 2009, in British Columbia. Like the world festival this event host workshops and competition for artists. Model and Photographers join this event for performance living art.

World Body Painting Festival

I would be wrong to not start with the foremost body painting event on the planet earth - The World Bodypainting Festival.

Begun in 1998 as a means to bring tourist trade to the community of Seeboden, Austria the event has grown into the premier international body painting event. The event held each July clearly celebrates the art form in a marriage of body painting artist, model and photographer. But the event is much more it includes amazing special effects makeup, music, performance and a training ground and competition for those involved in body painting.

Now in 2009 enjoy an all new website for the World Bodypainting Festival.

I have posted a very few World Bodypainting Festival Hall Of Fame photographs painted by artists I know and respect, and who inspire me to create more. Please see all the hall of Fame photographs on the WBPF website.

Body Painting As Fine Art

In order to introduce you to Body Painting as a fine art I will begin with the various events where artist gather to create living artworks.

When one thinks these days of body painting they think most often of either trade show/nightclub women sporting corsets, jeans and jerseys or glossy magazine swimsuits - yes all painted body art. And while many of my closest artist friends paint corsets, jeans, jerseys and swimsuits..... as alas we must pay the bills..... many paint living artworks that make the heart swoon for a more colorful, carefree world.

So in the first series of this blog on body painting I will introduce you to the various events celebrating this ancient and emerging art form.

And I'll be a bit selfish posting mainly artworks painted by friends. As I move forward I'll feature single artists, as well as models and photographers involved in this passionate art form. Come meet my friends and join me as I meet new ones.

Body Painting How To

Come back in 2009 to learn how to paint bodies from professional body artists.