Traveling Artists
After meeting with the Plein Air artists in Sedona and the Grand Canyon I noticed they take on the nomadic lifestyle, just like full time RVers.
This circuit requires a lot of travel. Here is a small example of some of the events I would consider "On the Circuit" here in the west.
Telluride Plein Air Festival Telluride, CO 4th of July
Grand Canyon Celebration of Art Early September
Yellowstone Plein Air Invitational End of September
Sedona Plein Air Festival October
Zion National Park Plen Air Art Invitational November
With a list like that you'll soon realize that these artists are living out of their RVs/Vans/Trailers. Sometimes they have a host house to stay, but they have the same concerns as those that live in their RV's traveling full time. Like my wife and I, up until we got the cabin. Can you imagine traveling from one event to the next from the east coast in the summer to the west coast in the winter. Wow, what a life.
So, I started talking with each of them about this, and to my surprise they were not into it the same as we were when we started.
I think living full time out of a modified Van, or RV, or trailer, is, for them, a necessity. For us it was the objective, so we were big into it. We watched every youtube channel dedicated to the subject, went to conferences, went to RV shows, tried on Class-C accommodations, Class-A, Fifth Wheel, and Travel trailer to find what we liked. We dug in on topics like Solar, Water filtration, sanitation , insecticide/pesticide methods, water transfer, cooking options, lighting, audio, outside furniture, inside furniture, travel routes, how to get mail, best destinations, you name it.
I wanted to show artists a few of the resources we were able to try out and give our perspective of what we liked so much about the life.
Campendium (great source for spots, BLM etc)
Escapees xscapers (the only RV club you'll wish you joined sooner)
Good Sam Club (good benefits for full timers)
Natures Head compost toilet (there is no substitute)
I have been inspired by these Plein Air artists, and now that I know they live a nomadic lifestyle just as we have chosen to, I'm even more excited about the prospect of learning more from them, and sharing in our experiences.
One of the biggest needs that nomads have is water, where to find potable water. When you group together with other RVers you'll find they have answers to a ton of the questions you had, and didn't even know you had. Like, when do the snakes have babies?
I do hope more artists join the Facebook groups for Full Time RVers and clubs like Escapees. It seems like the Xscapers group is perfect for the working artist on the road.