08.28.08: Day 3 – Burning Man

Tuesday, 26 August 2008
Black Rock City, Nevada

Tree Leaves’ Oracle Bodypainting Station
corner of 5:00 and B Streets

I had a very restful (and much needed) sleep, giving me the ability to awake and be recharged for the full day ahead of me for my first day of play at Burning Man. This is also the first year I decided to offer the community a theme-station, a bodypainting tent and station. A place where Black Rock Citizens can come and get painted by me, or paint themselves when I’m not there. I experimented with the concept at Apogaea (Colorado’s regional Burn) earlier this year, and its obviously been successfully wanted, needed, and appreciated at both venues. Its a spin-off from the commercial bodypainting ventures I do at other festivals, but since Burning Man and Apogaea are a “Gifting” economy, and money is not used, the paint, the art, the brushes, the ideas, the station – is my gift to the community. Costly for sure as paint isn’t cheap, but well worth the inspiration, friends, and beauty it provides to the festival. I was very happy with it. Of course, its a developmental block for a master-plan theme camp I want to do in a future Burn which I’ve already started getting people jumping on board with so might happen next year.

inside the station

The first few hours in the morning took setting up camp, the Bodypainting station, and decorating. Making sure all the brushes and paints were laid out. Then they came. At first just a few, then by droves. All wanting to get painted. I realized I needed to emphasize that it was a “bodypainting station” and to “help yourself and paint yourself or each other” concept so that I could escape and explore Burning Man. Of course, my camera was starting to go on the blitz since the dust storms yesterday probably did a turn of damage to it. Luckily its still under warranty, or I hope. I have disposable cameras just in case. I met some incredible people and new friends, telling me about their camps, and inviting me to come hang out. When I did get a chance to break away, off for a ice run and to check out Center Camp and to look for Bonefinder, Spook, Graham, Becca, Denise, Valerie, Will, Ben, Viktoria, Hotrod, Timber, Sky, Fawn, Heather, and a plethera of others I was trying to find.

Center Camp performances and activities

Techno-Gypsie

Tree Leaves’ Body Painting Station * Corner of 5:00 and B streets * Black Rock City, Nevada * Burning Man 2008 / American Dream

A Theme station for bodypainting and body art for costuming, fun, adoration, and entertainment. Whether being painted by professionals in the camp or a do-it-yourself-paint station … Tree Leaves gifts the Burning Man community its paint, art, style, ideas, motifs, decorations, brushes, and encouragement for self-expression, self-decorating, and fun with designs whether on oneself or each other. Tree Leaves’ opened on Tuesday, 8/26/08 and shut down Saturday, 8/30/08 as a service and gift to Black Rock City. Each day, droves of playful playa-goers came and used themselves or each other as canvases for creative art. Following in day-to-day installments are some examples of that art and play – for those that didn’t mind having us take their pictures for our portfolio. Enjoy! While in almost all regards, “paint” is seen as “body clothing” legally in many instances, there are different discretions and debates amongst mainstreamers and restrictive online networks like Myspace and Facebook as to what is termed “nudity” and what is not. For that matter, any photo that does not have actual clothing over what mainstream American society terms as a ‘private area’ will not be displayed on Myspace or Facebook. These photos will only appear on Livejournal: Thomasrymour (private blog) / techno_gypsy (semi-private) (under a NSFW cut) or on the technogypsie.net Bodypainting portfolio pages.

Water motif
hand painted Acryllic
by Leaf McGowan

Fire & Water motif
hand painted Acryllic
by Leaf McGowan

Fire motif
hand painted Acryllic
by Leaf McGowan

Fire bush vine motif
acryllic, hand painted by Leaf
Burning Man 2008 * 8/26/08

Butterfly breasts motif
acryllic, hand painted by Leaf
Burning Man 2008 * 8/26/08

Waterfall motif
acryllic, hand painted by Leaf
Burning Man 2008 * 8/26/08

“Tron Wrangler”
acryllic, hand painted by Leaf
Burning Man 2008 * 8/26/08

Human bumblebee
acryllic, hand painted on Leaf by Leaf
Burning Man 2008 * 8/26/08

The motifs today seemed to be alot of requests for fire and water. I found that intriguing. After painting about 20 people, I decided to slip out and let people paint themselves. People kept coming in. A charming Goddess that I really connected with by the name of Juniper (from Toronto) wandered in and we took turns painting one another. She brought me some yummy Okenogan Cider and we got a bit tipsy. She lured me away like like bee on a flower from the bodypainting tent even though there were many still wanting painting, but we wanted exploring. She showed me her camp and tent (which I never to this day ever relocated) and we wandered around meeting some of her friends and looked for her friends Yoga class (which got cancelled). I was hungry, and wanted food, so wandered off to find some friends I was supposed to meet (unsuccessful). (I think she was annoyed I did that, but I really did think we could find one another again – and I was wrong, that was a mistake)

I went back to camp and converted myself from my suave Technogypsie outfit into a comedic human bumblebee which alot of people seemed to adore. the Animal control spied me and a mob of 20 dog catchers said “Bumblebee” and chased after me with butterfly nets. I stung them all. I was dogtagged and they slapped a decal of a skeleton bunny on my ass. (which i didn’t discover till way after the fact) Guess that shows who stung who.

I found out later some guy from Britain was in my tent pretending to be me and painting people. I thought that was funny.
Ran into Spook at Center Cafe Camp and she directed me to where her and Bonefinder were camping. Still hunting for other friends, but not the easiest to find in a city of 50,000. I did take a break at Black Rock City Roller Disco – a large polished wood court out on the Esplanade with roller disco going on – humongous rack of skates to grab and pop on for a rollerball time. Lovin’ the free gifting nature of Burning Man. As evening fell, I solar showered off my Bee outfit and got into something warmer as the night fell and the desert became cold. Fun bar hopping and exploring different venues. Made it to Thunderdome for viewing a couple of fights, and hanging out at some neighbour camps making new friends. Since its a gift economy, the alcohol was flowing freely, and I drank a little way too much. No success in finding Juniper again for hanging out, so I was a bit bummed. I called it a night.