Travel Art Studio + Supplies

Do you like to bring art supplies when you travel? I love to create little works of art while on the road (or over the ocean!) to help commemorate my adventures and really cement them in my mind.

Today I want to share my compacted art supplies and how I set them up while out and about in the world, taking inspiration from all that's around me. I'm sharing what I bring, how I setup and record, and what my experience with bringing these art supplies through TSA has been.

Don't let distance from your home studio prevent you from making great art! There are only a few items that you'll be able to find or borrow wherever you land that will help complete an efficient studio space:)

My Art Supplies:

(some of these are affiliate links which help to support this channel at no extra cost to you - thank you!)

Himi Gouache

Tiny Gouache Sketchbook

Princeton Size 1 Round Brush

Da Vinci Size 2 Round Brush

Map Eraser

Washi Tape

Rechargeable Clamp Light

Phone Mount Articulating Arm

And thanks to the folks who submitted their own list of travel art supplies to be included in the video! I often ask my viewers for input thru Instagram Stories, so if you haven’t already, find me there!

7.2.2023

Travels through O'ahu :: Adventures + Artwork

Welcome back to my second home of O'ahu! I'm so thrilled to have just had the opportunity to spend 7 whole weeks camping, hiking, beaching, painting, and visiting friends on the beloved island I decided to leave just one year ago.

What can I say..? I didn't move away from Hawai'i because I didn't like it!

Visiting close friends and adventuring through the island is such a blissful existence. If you haven’t put it on your list yet, maybe a few more photos will help seal the deal..

Did you enjoy coming along for the ride? Here's my travel + art vlog from the vanlifing I did on Maui and Big Island last year. You can also see more of my life while I lived on island, including where I worked and my awesome bungalow with the fully outdoor bathroom! And if you're wondering why I ever left this slice of paradise, I made a video of that too!

12.20.2020

Why I'm Leaving Hawai'i...

Oh my yessss, folks, believe it or not my time on this fabulous lil island has come to an end. But it’s not a reason to be sad at all! Far from it! There are many more exciting adventures on the horizon - Yay:):):)

If you’d like to read a bit about my thought process while coming to this decision, as well as my next adventure plans, check out my latest Birds of a Feather newsletter here where I dive in a lil deeper on my prospects as an artist here vs the mainland. And if you generally like to be in the know about big news coming from the Nest weeks before my YouTube or Insta fam make sure you subscribe to my newsletter here where you’ll also get a more personal peek at this working artist’s life in ways I don’t necessarily share publicly…

If you didn’t see my recent vid all about my life on O’ahu these past four years check it out here.

It has not been an easy decision, but it is the right one and after every mind-expanding, worldly, beautiful, or transcendent experience I remind myself not to be sad that it’s over, but to be happy it happened.

I love you, folks! And I can’t wait to take you on so many more adventures with me!!

10.18.2019

My Life in Hawai'i

Welcome to my happy Hawai'i life!! I am so excited to share my cute town, favorite hikes and beaches, and plenty of adventure hula hooping with you today!

I've been on O'ahu for just under four years, and while it certainly feels like home at this point, there is still so much of the island I'm still discovering. Although I have always been an outdoors person, living here has taken my love of the natural world to entirely new heights.

Enjoy this lil snapshot of Hawai'ian life and if you haven't yet, go ahead and add O'ahu to your bucket list - you will not be disappointed!!

Here's a vid detailing my art studio set-up:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_KhZ6C8gAo

And a popular vid of the old bungalow with the outdoor bathroom I used to live too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rtqz0-jvfw8

9.20.2019

Happy Hawai'i Greeting Cards Teaser!

Wowowow!! So excited these cards are in the works! And even more excited that I get to share the whole process with you!!

Hopefully you saw my timelapse video last week of me painting the Happy Hawai’i scenes, of not, no worries because I created this little 1 minute teaser to help get the word out on my latest artistic venture. Yay!

Snag a set of cards here at the discounted pre-sale rate (with free US shipping!):

https://www.caleighbirdart.com/happy-hawaii-greeting-cards/

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originally published November 19, 2018

Happy Hawaii Paintings in Gouache

Aloha friends! I've got some really cute and happy gouache paintings featuring Hawaiian creatures and scenery that I'm so excited to share with you today:)

I'm developing a line of greeting cards so creating the perfect cohesive body of work is the most important first step. Today's video features timelapse demos of all my gouache artworks, and then in a few short weeks I'll have a video demonstrating how I turned my simple idea into a pack of actual greeting cards to sell in stores. Yay!

PRE-ORDER YOUR 8 CARD SET HERE:

https://www.caleighbirdart.com/happy-hawaii-greeting-cards

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originally published November 15, 2018

Tiny House + Outdoor Bathroom Bungalow Tour

Welcome to my tiny house bungalow life! Last week I showed you all the details of my artmaking space + art collection, and this week I'm taking you all on tour of the rest of my tiny house life (including my incredibly beautiful and relaxing outdoor bathroom!) here in gorgeous, sunny Kaimuki, Hawaii.

I feel so fortunate and proud to have this incredible space to create and thrive and now that I finally have things arranged just right I am thrilled to invite you in today:)

If you missed the first part, check it out here

Plus I have a quick 2 minute overview tour here

Check out these incredible shots from an amazing photographer and new friend Amanda, Bee Leigh Imagery, that just visited my bungalow about two weeks ago. Stay tuned for more shots from that glowing morning on my blog next week!

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originally published May 30, 2018

Art Studio Tour + My Art Collection

Welcome to my Art Studio Tour! Yay! I have been wanting to show you all my tiny house abode for so long, but you know we artists like to have everything just right before we're ready to show 'n tell....

Today I am going to share with you all the details about my art making area as well as my tiny desk and art I've collected from other artists. Then next week I will have another vid sharing more about my tiny house bungalow life and the super quaint town of Kaimuki, O'ahu where I live and work. (Update: Here’s my tiny house + outdoor bathroom)

And if you missed the quickie 2 Minute tour of my entire spot from last week, have a peek right here.

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originally published May 23, 2018

2 Minute Tiny House Art Studio Tour

Welcome to my tiny house art studio bungalow! I love my little sunny Hawai'i home and I have done so much to create the perfect, most efficient, most inspiring art making space I can! Come on in and have a looksy, and if you'd like a more detailed tour, check out these link because I have two more videos detailing my painting station and the rest of my tiny house living :)

Painting Station + Art Collection here

Bungalow + Outdoor Bathroom here

If you didn't see the pics I posted last time, check those out here. 

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originally published May 16, 2018

Epic Hawaii Hike :: Lanipo Ridge

Wow friends, my mind is still swimming from the amazing hike I had the other day with one of my closest girls, Baila. We hiked to an extremely high point where the Lanipo Mau'umae finger ridge meets what we refer to as the Mother Mountain, which is the main ridge that runs from the south to north shore. 

Since O'ahu was formed by a series of active volcanoes,  the ridge hikes are comprised of the pyroclastic flow which created steep and narrow mountains all over the island. From what I understand many trails were used by native Hawai'ians and Polynesians for centuries, then used by the US army for lookouts, infrastructure, and training, and now mostly used by hikers.

The Hawai'ian government keeps a lot of land untouched and even sanctions dozens of hikes all over the island that will take you to another world, yet will start less than 20-30 minutes from your own home. Hiking out here is beyond incredible. 

Ripe strawberry guava along the way - yummm!!

View fullsize

Oh the ferns..... 

To sum it up, this was a 6.6 mile (7.5 hours) there-and-back hike. The pinnacle reached the mother mountain and we were gifted a view of around 75-80% of the island. I have never had a view like that in my life so far and since I had been feeling a little studio rut lately, it was just what I needed to gain a little clarity. 

Overlooking the Ka'au Crater just behind me and a gorgeous waterfall cutting through the ridgeline

[UPDATE: I featured this hike on my YouTube Studio Vlog right here with some amazing footage I took at the peak. ]

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originally published May 30, 2018