What's different about Bodyssey 2010 in Calgary?

Lilly Walters asked me a really good question this morning, and its got me
thinking.

For those of us who are lucky enough to have regular access to the
instructors who attend conventions, it becomes a bit of a quandry as
to which conventions we should go to, based on a number of factors:
a) is it affordable b) is it practical in terms of getting to Florida,
Vegas, the UK, Australia, Brazil, Canada etc)and finally and probaby
most importantly: c) can I learn anything new if I have already
attended a convention this year? d) is it just the same as Fabiac,
FPBA, Etc elsewhere
- at least that would be my first list of questions....

In the case of Bodyssey, which is taking place in Calgary, Alberta
(that's in Western Canada for those of you not familiar with the
geography!), August 26 - 31, I would be asking myself all those
questions before making a decision to register.

In terms of questions a and b... I can't answer those for anyone!
however, I can, however, help a bit with c and d.

Bodyssey is a Canadian Convention yes, but aimed at ANYONE who wants
to paint faces and bodies. There isn't that much out there for
Western North America and we have lots of offer folks! In addition to
the usual suspects and disciplines, Bodyssey also offers workshops and
learning opps in a few less worn avenues:
Photography for your portfolios and learning which camera best suits
your needs, Building your On Line presence and business (Lea Selley) ,
Health and Safety in Face and Body Art (Make-up Artist Angela Hitch),
Creating Headpieces (Lucie Brouillard), Glamour Make up (Marion
Brown), and special classes dedicated entirely to Christmas and
Halloween (both scary and NOT!), which by the end of the summer our
minds are beginning to bend to. Becuase we are only in our second
year, our classes tend to be more intimate and so for people like me,
I learn more when there are less than 100 people in the room!!!! -
that's a personal choice, but I like smaller classes and I think its a
HUGE bonus at Bodyssey.

If you have already taken classes with Mark R, Nick and Brian, Jodi,
Jinny and Erika....believe me, when I tell you that there is plenty
more to be learned from the new faces on the scene. Larissa Reinders
is one of the most talented Henna artists on this planet. We are
thrilled to have her teaching at Bodyssey this year and I suspect the
circuit will be seeing much more of her soon.....Remy Audette (Rem-x)
is a fantastically inventive airbursh artist from Montreal whose work
is stunning and again...a rising star in our field. Cathy Corbett is
known and loved all over the place, but we are especially happy to
have her teaching how to use prosthetic muzzles to create really
stunning felines with a difference. Marion Brown has been a make-up
Artist in the field of Theatre, TV and Film for over 20 years and she
is sharing with us some of the tricks of the trade to create glamour
make-up for photoshoots.

Our competitions are open this year to Amateurs only - so those who
have placed in other competitions are asked to sit it out - (some will
be judges) - our Body Painting competition Fashion Through the Ages
offers a HUGE range of opportunity to the brave body painter **** but
check out the guidelines..there are tips in there which should entice
ANY body painter to have a go!!! - its not nearly as scary as it
looks. We aim to have a superb fashion show of painted clothing at
the end of it all..... I wish I could enter !!! Prizes will be
announced VERY shortly and I'll let you all know about that as soon as
its on the streets. Why block the big boys and girls from entering????
because we want to ENCOURAGE new painters to take risks and paint
without worrying about having to compete with Nick and Brian and Lucie
Brouillard!

In other words, Bodyssey is its own beast - its not trying to recreate
what colleagues elsewhere have done - we are different but we share
the same madate: To teach, share with, learn from, and enrich
everyone in this amazinginly inclusive and creative industry - the
more of us there are - doing a superb job, the better for us all - the
more work there will be, the more demand there will be and the more
profitable our businesses become - both spiritually and financially.

So......why should you come and spend your money in Canada?
Well...the dollar is looking pretty sad against the US buck at the
moment...which makes it cheaper for you if you are venturing up from
the States - We have amazing mountains to look at.....clean air,
friendly Canadian cowboys and a wonderful array of fabulous face and
body painting workshops, classes, masterclasses, jams and parties to
celebrate the brilliance of what we all do....

If it was me......well, I think I'd book to go to Bodyssey!

Our website www.bodyssey.ca is pretty comprehensive, and you can email
bodyssey@telus.net if you want to ask specific questions of us....we
are always happy to help! Our latest blog entry will have comments
from Americans who came to Bodyssey last year.....check out what Mark
Greenwalt and Gary had to say about it....they gave us a thumbs
up....actually so did Marcela, which was extremely gracious of
her,....mind you.....like I say....we aren't trying to compete with
other conventions....we like ours just the way it is, and we hope you
will too!

Look forward to welcoming you to the Candian Rockies!

Hugz
Lizzie

I'm registered for the conference and the post conference classes, I'm so excited, I've never even had the opportunity to meet any other face artists.
Thanks for all the info Lizzie,
Danica

Wowsers Lizzie, that's an impressive line up and I can't wait!!!

Don't forget the advantage of building relationships with other artists! That's a huge part of why I'm going. Well, that and the fact that I've never had an actual face painting class before. This forum is awesome, but I want to meet some of you face to face. I'm a visual person, as most of you obviously are too. It's a great way to learn and network Can't wait!

I'll see you guys there! Signed up and rarin' to go!

Never been to Canada and the convention sound really great, would love to go, but the airline fair is not cheap

Those who are attending should allow a few extra days for sight-seeing... there is the Calgary Tower where you can see forever on a clear day, and it is less than a 2 hour drive to the Rocky Mountains and Banff National Park. Well worth booking a day-trip/tour to! And if you have a bit more time, take a day-trip to the Columbia Ice Fields!

And if you like Dinosaurs going the other direction will take you to Drumheller and the Royel Tyrell Museum!

Awesome things to see when you will be so close!

Banff is BEAUTIFUL! Make sure you go to the Hot Springs, and rent an old-school bathing suit, haha. The Ice Fields = incredible. I went and walked on a glacier last year and it was simultaneously mind-blowing and breath-taking

Heck - might as well drive through the Rockies, pick up some organic pear juice in Kelowna, then swing by Surrey and visit me!

Or drive the Icefields Parkway north through Banff, the Icefields, and Jasper, and keep going until you get to Grande Prairie to visit me!

Sound like we won't have time to visit the convention! *lol*

I just got back from a visit north and the Royal Tyrell museum is awesome!





the museum is set in the bad lands



we were on a tight timeline and missed banff tho

did get to Kelowna to visit family

Yes, 'the West is Best'!

I have family coming out from Norway next week, Lone! Maybe they can fit you in their suitcase?

I get to drive through the rockies from Vancouver to Calgary to the conference. It's so gorgeous and I can't wait to learn from so many great artists! Yay!!

that is a possibility, but I'm already booked next week ;-)

will there be another convention coming through western Canada anytime soon?