@nofunzoneliveart - Blog

Print Store Update (February 2019)

5/26/2018

The print collection has been updated! Everything you see in the slide show above is available as a print. Sizes can vary from 8.5 x 11 to standard poster size, prints on canvas are also an option.
EMAIL US if you are interested in any of these babes.

8.5 x 11 (high quality photo paper)
20.00$ Each or 3 for 50.00$ + Shipping

If you want something larger, on watercolour paper or on canvas, prices vary from piece to piece and it's much easier to talk via email to sort out pricing and shipping.

Much thanks to EVERYONE who has supported us over the years to keep up our career and life in art. We appreciate you all so much, and hope that it inspires your creativity in some way or another. We love seeing what people are up to so don't be shy: tag us or share with us your projects and other creative endeavors! And keep on spreading that art love around the globe.

One love
Kayleigh and Tom

CONTACT:
kayleigh.kristiansen@gmail.com
bocabectom@gmail.com

ART-VENTURES: OAXACA

11/15/2017

Looks like Tom and Kayleigh are on their way back to Oaxaca for another round of "winter". To celebrate, we collaborated with RH printing in Campbell River, BC to bring some high quality prints of our recently released "Sketchbook Project". As a teaser, we have attached a sample of whats coming off the press.
We are excited to travel and put the feelers out for collaboration with artists to learn some new techniques, particularily in printmaking. If you are an artist in Oaxaca and you are reading this post, mucho gusto!Send a message to our instagram handle @nofunzoneliveart if you want to get together.

Click the images to enlarge them

OAXACA, MEXICO

9/27/2017

"Cuidado! Corrientes Peligrosas" Live painted at el Peyote, Zipolite OAX

In winter 2016/2017 Tom and I finally bought that plane ticket south, a vacation we had been dreaming about long before we ever started hanging out. Time to find a beach and deprogram from what had been a whirlwind year. We needed something to keep us busy while we were there, so we inadvertently started...

The Sketchbook Project

We have both fairly casually always kept a sketchbook, but not necessarily as a "unified" piece of art. The idea that the whole book from start to finish was going to document our travels was excitingly simple. In so many ways it was an ideal project, because every time we felt inspired we just had to reach into the magic bag and start painting.

Our traveling art kit consisted of a small collection of watercolours, 5 brushes and two brand new sketchbooks. For 6 months we traveled the Oaxaca circuit with brushes in hand - from Oaxaca city to San Jose del Pacifico, then onwards to Mazunte, St. Augustinillo, 3 months on the playa in Zipolite and eventually to Puerto Escondido for an impromptu family vacation with Tom's two sons.

We really, really enjoyed our time there and we are super grateful for all of the amazing hospitality shown by some of the finest folks. Honourable mentions to Bonice of San Jose del Pacifico, Chef Lalo of Atila del Sur in Oaxaca, Rick and Chomo of El Peyote in Zipolite, Dylan, Aidan and Chelsea, the fine folks of Casa Angel and of course Mike and Bernadette for the surprise visit on the playa. Thanks for a super memorable trip... much love and enjoy!

Kayleigh's Sketchbook

Tom's Sketchbook

QUADRAPALOOZIN'

9/9/2017

There has been a steady flow of water under the proverbial bridge since the last blog post. We call that life, and needless to say we got our kicks. Traveling/living in the bush while trying to maintain "art-brain" has occupied our minds for most of it, and I intend to post about some of those projects during the last year and a half soon.

But we gotta be honest - NFZ loves live-arting at music festivals. After a year and a half break from it all, we set our priorities on finding something that suited our current vibe. Success.

We had a great time at Quadrapalooza on Quadra Island, BC. Welcome to the west coast.

Electric Rainforest
48" x 48"
Spray paint and acrylic on panel
Tom Smith, Kayleigh Kristiansen

Flying into the Eclipse
24" x 24"
Spray paint on panel
Kayleigh Kristiansen

Van life/Live art tour 2016

6/23/2016

2 months, 14000 kms
and a little 2 much fun

Living in your van and traveling across the greater part of western Canada with everything you own and doing the maritime hustle . It sounds romantic, and it is, even though we have suffered a mere 2 days of hard rain in over 60 days on the road and lost a single tattered shoe on an internet pillage in a McDonalds parking lot .

In a few words, it's been a great vacation for Tom and Kayleigh.

I must admit my own naivety, for I had no idea that pelicans were a part of the arid Canadian ecosystem, nor did I realize the extent of the suburban RV culture, never mind how I would actually become a part of that culture. And it was beyond my capacity of understanding how much of a shift the road side/local economy must have seen in the last 20 years, based on the hundreds of boarded up roadside stands, gas stations, general stores, and faded hand painted signs that populated a 14000 kilometer trail.

Regardless, we found our way to the end of the road in Dawson City; not without a pit stop in Whitehorse, YT. After meeting up with a couple of fellow maritimers and local artists, we landed ourselves our first live art gig in weeks (it felt like ages). In Dawson we painted a couple of open mic nights and spent two weekends at the Dawson artists market with our table full of prints and original paintings. This all kept us occupied for nearly 2 weeks. Even though we have really enjoyed our clandestine van camping adventures, we paid the 12$ fee for a provincial camp site on the Yukon River and set up our pop up art studio accordingly for the duration of our stay.

"The Heckler" Live painted at The Pit in Dawson City, YT
Prints available via nofunzoneliveart.com

"Klondike Dance Party" Live painted at Lizards in Whitehorse, YT
Prints available via nofunzoneliveart.com

As I am writing this, I'm drinking a delicious session ale 3000kms away from that beautiful experience at a tavern in Keremeos BC. I am thinking about our life as it was and as it is now. I'm thinking of the people I know and love who are being a part of our dearest Folly Fest this weekend and how full life is for them. I am excited for Tom's future, my own, and about the art that is yet to be made, the landscapes that are yet to be absorbed, and what this next phase of life is going to look like on paper.

Art Show - March 26th 2016 - Fredericton, NB

3/22/2016

PSYCHEDELIART
a collection of works
Tom Smith & Kayleigh Kristiansen

Saturday March 26th 2016 - SAMEASFOREVER.photo - 204 Regent St, F'ton NB - 7pm-11pm

After a fairly mild winter on the East Coast of Canada we are ready to hit the road on what can only be best described as an art-nomad adventure. But before we pull up stakes in ol' Fredericton NB, we thought it'd be fun to throw a party. Consider this an open invitation to anyone who may read this. There will be live music from 7pm-8pm by our dear friend and talented musician Camilo V, followed by a lot of beer, vegetarian treats and random acts of dancing to carry us in to the night.

Why Psychedeliart?

It doesn't take much imagination to realize why our art may be considered psychedelic in nature. That was kind of the point all along considering where we have put our creative energy over the last several years. Festivals, live music, costumed dancers, fire spinning collectives and other artists who frequent these all night parties have given us a lot of inspiration to work outside of certain societal boundaries. I could certainly sit here and type a lot of fancy words to try and persuade you of this show's artistic merit and status in the contemporary art world, but the fact of the matter is that it's pop art. And it's pretty trippy. And fun. And that is pretty much all you need to know about Psychedeliart.

See Facebook event page here

Festival Series 2015: Part 4

10/29/2015

Alright - admittedly, it's been a few months since our festival season came to it's end. But I suppose I could also argue that it is really just beginning... but that goes without saying. (Yes the gears are already in motion for next year)

That isn't to say that we haven't done our homework in between. It's beginning to look like our computer hard drives are accumulating a fairly well documented journey on our art happenstance thus far. So we thought we'd throw up a little recap on a couple of fun events we participated in since August 2015.

Great North: Music & Arts Festival
Norridgewock, ME

For a hand-made festival in its early stages, I have to say we were pretty much blown away (yet again). Although we were slightly more prepared on what to expect, we almost feel like we can never prepare ourselves for the level of dedication, character, talent and confidence these artists bring forward. Nobody said a life in art is easy, yet so many continue to take the plunge. After all, our time here is short. Live art at festivals is a vast and dynamic culture in our modern world - something that is becoming brilliantly paired with good times, musical entertainment and other creative facets of life more often than not. It's comforting to know there are always people out there who are pushing that extra mile to be better artists, better people, more inclusive, and better at advocating for themselves in what often is a cut throat industry.

"Temple of Boom" mural live painted by Chris Dyer & Jonathan Solter

Of course, cut-throat is not something we would use to describe the vibe of the art scene at Great North. In fact it was a very curious, accepting and honest place. People were not afraid to critique you, but they were also open to the reciprocation. Artists were excited to see what everyone had to offer and were eager to exchange information. It was ridiculously easy to be our creative selves here. In that sense, we didn't waste too much time. It is easy to leave a high energy event like this self conscious of whether or not you did a good enough job, threw down enough paint, etc. You have to remind yourself that a huge part of the mission is to talk to people, allow yourself to be inspired, challenged, and make positive connections - something that requires plenty of energy in it's own right.

"Great Moth Dancer" by Tom Smith & Kayleigh Kristiansen
Size: 5" h x 7" w (framed)
Medium: Spray paint on an acrylic background, canvas
Available via nofunzoneliveart@gmail.com

"Celtic Moth" by Kayleigh Kristiansen, Tom Smith
Size: 20.5" w x 23" h (framed)
Medium: Spray paint on canvas
Available via nofunzoneliveart@gmail.com

Just A Little Light - Grateful dead cover band
Live Art ft. No Fun Zone
Wilser's Room Bar, September 17th, Fredericton NB

"Steal Your Harvest" by Tom Smith, Kayleigh Kristiansen
Size: 26" w x 36" w
Medium: Acrylic and spray paint on canvas

See our previous blog post about this recurring event here

One of our favourite nights out in Fredericton where we get to perform with friends in the local music scene and jam out in a relaxed atmosphere. They bring the music, we bring the art, the people bring the vibes, the bar staff bring the cheap drinks and great service - combined we are an evening of wobbly, tie-dye psychedelic eye candy.

This was the last live event we did to top off our busy summer. Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival was occupying the down town plat, so we took the opportunity to go out and meet with locals and travelers alike. Always a pleasure! Until next time...

- Kayleigh K

Festival Series 2015: Part 3

8/23/2015

Festival season is coming to it's end, and it was an exceptional summer touring around southern New Brunswick. The year is 2015 which marks three full seasons that Tom and I have made live art a full time endeavour. As I sit here and reminisce about how far we have come in our partnership and as artists, I am very excited for the future. In 10 days we are heading to Great North Music & Arts Festival for our second year of live painting (!!!) But first, a little recap on what we've been up to since our last post...

Future Forest Electronic Music Festival
Keswick Ridge, NB

"Dance Party Mural"
8 ft w x 4 ft h
Acrylic and spray paint on board

"Moth Dancers"
42" w x 42" h
Acrylic and spray paint on canvas

As we meandered through the forest to Warks Point Campground, nothing could have prepared us for what we found at the end of that long dirt road. Infrastructure was crawling out of the trees. Strange and wild mushrooms were popping up left right and centre, which were both naturally occurring and creatively imposed on the colourful grounds. Circus performers, ariel artists, extreme face painting, live art, galleries, art installations, projection art, fire spinning, costumes of glitter, sequins, rainbows and a multitude of genres of EDM floated betwixt the trees and the people. All in all, the perfect creative climate

Messtival
Anagance, NB

The name says it all, really. It was a train wreck of sarcasm, bad jokes with mediocre art and music. This festival is a unique collaboration between the TBA Collective, as well as the artists/inventors/superhumans Mike and Pauline Ritchie. I whole heartedly blame Messtival for ruining one day of my life on an annual basis. (Long live Messtival)

"Salmon Dragons"
33" w x 38.5" h
Acrylic and spray paint on canvas

Nashwaak Music Fest
Nashwaak Bridge, NB

On the other side of the spectrum is a sweet local country music fest close to our home in Fredericton. Here we got to mingle with a totally different crowd of people and bring our art trip to lots of folks who might have never seen it. Tucked away in the corner of the vendors market, we pecked away at our paintings and made some great friends.

"Salmon on the Nashwaak River"
37.5" w x 47.5" h
Acrylic and spray paint on board

The Atlantic Salmon are undoubtedly beautiful and inspiring to Tom and I as artists, as we spend so much time alongside the rivers and streams once traveled by their ancestors. At this time they remain gravely endangered. I have never actually laid eyes on a wild Atlantic salmon, but I imagine them on their ancient journey. I hope to see them return to the Saint John River watershed in my lifetime.

Collaborate & Listen at Shakedown Ranch
Kingston, NB

"Back to the ranch!"

A common exclamation in the community this time of year. This is the sister festival to the seasons opener - Midsummer Madness- so Collaborate is always a sure way to close off a beautiful summer. I always get so inspired by these grounds as they are set in the heart of the timeless Acadian Forest. As much as I try with words, they don't always do justice to my feelings or expressions. So here is a piece of art that pretty much sums up this emotional response to the land.

"Summer in New Brunswick"
Size: 36" w x 44" h
Acrylic on canvas

Sometimes there are paintings that slip through the cracks. They get a good start, but we get ahead of ourselves and the detail required to finish the piece outweighs the time frame we have to complete it. So the artwork comes home with us; it follows us around to other festivals in hopes of us maybe dabbling the brush a little more. After a few late nights in the studio, and a few early mornings at various festivals, we completed our summer project.

"Ring of Power"
Size: 42" w x 42" h
Acrylic and spray paint on canvas

Now, we have a couple weeks off before going to Great North. We are enjoying some well deserved vacation time, although the routine hasn't changed much. We still live in tent more often than not, but we are thoroughly enjoying some time at home and with friends in town. Summer is short, but life is good. Life is made even better because we get to exist in a community of people following their passions. For that I am grateful. Until next time...

Kayleigh K.

Festival Art Series 2015: Part 2

7/6/2015

Feels Good Folly Fest
Afternoon Delight Music & Arts Festival
and other artistic adventures thus far

Hard to believe that three weeks full to the brim of art activity, festival set-up and tear-down can meet its end so fast! I finally have time to write a little bit about what the No Fun Zone has been up to on their East Coast festival tour thus far.

Fire Mural painted by Tom and Kayleigh of No Fun Zone
8 ft x 12 ft
for FEELS GOOD Folly Fest
Photo by Arielle's Art & Design 2015

As per usual, Feels Good Folly Fest was a lot of work leading up to the festival all the way to it's bittersweet end. In the weeks prior to the fest, Tom and I managed to put together a mural for the Tribal Arts Stage (pictured above) where many fire troups, gymnasts and yogis perform their trade throughout the course of the weekend. We landed on the fairgrounds site in Gagetown, NB on the Tuesday morning before the festival to build three art stages, erect our mural, and help the other organizers & volunteers with their tasks.

Friday night finally arrives and Folly is in full swing. I was a little overwhelmed to see months of organizing the art side of things pay off, as all three of our art stages were covered in artwork and performing artists before the sun went down. We could not be more proud of the visual artists who showed up and paid their dues through their outstanding visual performances throughout the weekend.

It was an extra special moment to see our mural lit up at night with some of our favourite fire dancers rocking their set in front of it. Tom and I set out on a mission this summer to make art with a big impact, and this particular endeavour turned out to be larger than life. If it weren't for the support of our community through Feels Good et al, it would have never happened. We are blessed to have so many people who trust and believe in our vision. 10 days of pure emotion and ecstatic energy and exhaustion but it pays to be working with such amazing people. Thank you all so much!

So we finally get home for a night or two to re-group, re-organize, un pack and repack the art mobile and then it's off to Penobsquis, NB for....

Afternoon Delight Music & Arts Festival!

This is a No Fun Zone
Photo by Kayleigh Kristiansen

Our dear friends Matt Papineau and Glen Maclean have put a lot of work in to making this one day festival full to the brim with awesome music and visual delight. In it's third year, they really managed to illuminate a kind of vibe that is very unique to the East Coast festival culture. 100% family friendly but with all the fixings: Live art, fire performances, visual projections of all stripes, workshops, slews of children running to and fro, and the most loveable bunch of characters anyone could ever ask to share company with. I really appreciate it when a community of people builds something that is all inclusive. It's amazing to have kids be such a strong focus for a festival gathering.

Well, we showed up two days early to collaborate with our friend Wasko, visual projection extraordinaire. Using two 8 ft tall human figure cut outs designed by me and Tom (originally used on our Folly fire mural), Nick Wasko mounted them on top of the stage, mapped the shapes and made the coolest projection show we have ever seen! It was an awesome collaboration. Pictures to come soon.

The festival was scheduled to take place on the Saturday, but for an extra 10$ patrons could attend on Friday night to watch a live stream of the Grateful Deads 50th anniversary "Fare Thee Well" tour. It was here we learned that the organizers had built an art stage specifically for us to play on. And THEN they provided us with some plywood and paint to design a mural. What a treat! So we painted an homage to a rare and favourite late night visitor - The Luna Moth - during an awesomely historic set of the Grateful Dead.

Luna Moth.
4ft x 8 ft
Live painted by Kayleigh and Tom of No Fun Zone during a live stream of the Grateful Deads 50th anniversary tour.
Afternoon Delight Music & Arts Festival 2015

Throughout the day Saturday we enjoyed a wide array of live music local to New Brunswick but also from across borders. Our friends of Incendia Motus, a fire troupe based out of Halifax, Nova Scotia, inspired us to design a painting during their set late Saturday night.

Incendia Motus
40" w x 42" h
Acrylic on canvas
By Tom and Kayleigh of No Fun Zone

Of course there are many more things I have to say about these past couple of weeks. We have a few days off before we are back at it again for the rest of the summer. Needless to say it has been an incredibly emotional journey thus far, with all the ups and downs, but it is amazing as a whole and No Fun Zone is very excited to rock out the rest of the summer with friends new and old. For now, we are leaving town for a retreat in our beautiful home on native land - the Acadian Forest, Saint John River valley, Wolastoq Territory - with a canoe and a couple of guitars, straying away from civilization as we try and wrap our heads around this crazy life in which we have become so ingrained. So much love to all of our fans and supporters and dear friends. Stay tuned for more creative updates.

Xoxoxox
Kayleigh K

Festival Art Series 2015: Part 1

6/8/2015

You know summer is just around the corner when the solstice brings a big ol' festival community together in the endangered Acadian Forests of New Brunswick, Canada.

Art, culture, and other reasons to be excited for
Midsummer Madness
at Shakedown Ranch
June 19, 20, 21 2015

No Fun Zone is certainly feeling blessed to be welcomed back to the ranch for our 3rd year of making live art. As visual artists, the highlights lie in the true beauty and uniqueness of this festival site. If you take a walk around in the nearby woods you are likely to find an array of rare species of flora and fauna.

And of course, the wildlife - the wild, energetic life that the festival goers, artists and musicians bring forward for all to enjoy.

Stand in front of the One-Love Stage and take a good 360 Degree turn and your eyes will absorb more art than the brain can comprehend. Industribe Tribal Arts - a collective of fire spinners, musicians, visual artists and circus performance artists are playing with their hand-crafted fire toys and other wares. Nearby, a community campfire and kitchen area, trees trees trees, hammocks, campsites, a home-made yurt filled to the brim with art, musical acts (and glitter) Look straight ahead and you see the Midnight Rider Stage, Live painter EP1C is there priming her giant canvas for the night ahead. Keep turning, there are the No Fun Zone artists Tom and Kayleigh making live art installations with acrylics, spray paint and other media. From there, a beautifully lit path down to the Electro Fusion Stage where your eyes will marvel at Wasko's visual projection art as it cascades the surrounding forest. Finally, a local artisan/vendors market full to the brim with consumer products which possess organic/hand crafted/eco-friendly/locally sourced undertones, and a canteen run by the fine folks at Shakedown Ranch where you can buy all sorts of festival propaganda!

At least that is what this festival is in my memory. When I close my eyes I think of artistic collaborations coupled with fantastic music. It is an artists paradise, which is of course the reason Tom and I are so looking forward to coming back.

Just a few weeks away, and I truly can't wait to see what our community of visual artists have in store for us this year on the East Coast. It's officially pARTy time!

XOX
-NFZ

For directions and other festival information, visit
www.shakedownranch.com