Bibi Freeman, World Face Painting Champion
and
Catriona Finlayson, 5th place, Face Painting

Bibi on Cat:
“I´ve got to say, Cat was absolutely the best company to have - I couldn't have done it without her, I think she kept me sane as well as being an enormous help. I thought her face design was so beautiful too, and we should have had joint prize as the models went around as such a fabulous twosome”.

Bibi, assisted by Catriona, also came 14th overall in the brush and sponge bodypainting competition.  Says Catriona, “I learned so much doing the bodies with her and her designs were so original”.

A great show, too, from Cat in coming 5th in the facepainting competition on her first ever foray into the Festival, despite a great deal of angst and tearing out of hair with the anticipation.  “I was so scared I'd panic but was so happy when I didn´t that I was bouncing around grinning like a loon all day - even before we heard the rankings!”

(see our feature articles on Bibi Freeman for full details of her winning entry and Cat´s Seeboden diary) 

I was exhausted the whole time, I am a very bad traveller as far as jet-lagging is concerned, so I was in a zombie state the whole time, totally unable to sleep for 8 days- aahh* sigh... The heatwave we had did not help. I was glad to be surrounded by hundreds of colorful bodies and SO glad that Seeboden turned out to be a family festival - with kids and dogs and happy, open-minded people all around. I have been working very hard here in Western Canada for the last 10 years so that body-painting gets accepted as a form of art and not just some pretty girls that ogling guys leer at, a beer in one hand and a shaking camera in the other...So the attitude in Seeboden rejoiced me.

Competition was in the air, for sure, but very few people gave me intense vibes that way - a handful.  The majority of artists seemed also just hard at work and focused on what was to be done. I suppose everyone was trying to cope with the heat and making sure to paint within the time limit. A few others were very, very friendly and just ecstatic to be there, drinking in each passing work of art, grinning from ear to ear with “ohs” and “ahs” all the time!.

I was overall impressed by the diversity and quality of most artists' pieces. Amazing how with one theme each work turned out so amazingly different in concept and interpretation. I have met some really, really nice people, painters and non-painters, and will likely wish to renew the experience again. One last word on how well-organized that festival is, from the physical access to the tickets selling booths to the way the tents are randomly chosen for each artist each day, from the 7 judges from 7 different countries, to the geographical perfection of how the park is used and almost naturally designed for the event, and also from the very strict rules that make everything crystal-clear to the efficiency of the wonderful crews of staff and volunteers.

Many thanks for creating Seeboden's Body-painting Festival and of course many warm thanks also to Sabine, my graceful and generous model who made it possible for me to paint there. 

The festival was amazing as usual.  Alex Barendregt works incredibly hard to ensure the smooth running of this huge event. It gets bigger and better every year and it’s a wonderful opportunity to meet up with other artists from all around the world. One thing Alex has no control over is the weather and it was another scorching few days with a gale force storm thrown in as well.

See our feature article for full details and photos of Carolyn and Carly´s fantastic bodypainting. 

It was a blast like last year only better.

We had made more friends and knew what to expect more. What we've come to expect was the Olympics of face and body art - 35 flags from 35 countries fly proudly and accompany every artist's name.

It is not hundreds I've seen at other festivals and conventions, It's thousands. The entertainment is top notch as is the hospitality. It cannot be described, only witnessed.  

  Mark Reid

This was the experience of a lifetime getting to meet people from all over the world with the same passion.

No politics, just respect for each other's art.

What an amazing event. My life is changed forever!!