3rd Annual Urban Ocean Festival

For the past 3 years I have been able to participate the the Urban Ocean Festival @ the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach.  The festival invites the community to learn and be educated about the conservation of our ocean.  Many non-profit organizations come out to create awareness of how we can keep our ocean clean through sustainability, and others teach us about the ocean, fishing, and pollution.  

I was working as a master artist in partnership with the Aquarium of the Pacific and Art Mile Mural Project.Art Mile promotes global peace and harmony through mural painting.  Each time I volunteer with these two organization, I'm continually inspired..  It's also been an awesome experience to share with my fellow art friends, and to just be able to collaborate together.  The funniest thing I've seen and never get tired of  is that each time I volunteer I get to I see children break free of their fear to paint and get messy.  I love seeing the people of all ages break free from the constraints of what painting is suppose to be like.  

This year, I spent most of my time at the festival painting while the community watched.  Though there were other canvases where the people of all ages were able to paint whatever they wanted.  Here is what I was able to sketch and paint that Saturday afternoon.  

This piece was inspired from the trip I just returned from.  I went to Japan to do relief work in Ishinomaki, It has been a year and a few months since the tsunami hit northern Japan.  There still in need of much help and clean up.  After, I went to Thailand.  While I was in Phuket there I experienced a tsunami warning.  This piece helped me process some of my thoughts. 

Tsunami by the Islands, acrylic, 5' by 7'  .

Special helpers: Debbie and Maria, blocking in clouds.

Other murals from the festival.

Check out Art Mile Mural Project.