8 Visual Artists at Sonic Bloom 2018 that Caught our Eye

Sonic Bloom has become a nationally recognized transformational festival bringing the best in music, workshops and art to Colorado. Creatives flock from all over the country to participate in this weekend event and attendees leave feeling inspired and ready to dive back into their communities back home.

Known as a mini-Electric Forest, this event has a small wooded area that comes to life at night with LED lighting and awe-inspiring art from some of the most talented artists we have seen.

For this event, iEDM focused on some of the visual artist from live painters and muralist to sculptors and weavers and picked eight artists that encompass what this festival has to offer.

1. Sidney Silva

Sidney’s practice is rooted in deep emotional release through utilizing art as a healing method. Her female figures exhaust a deep yearning for freedom, tied into the push and pulls of trauma versus clarity. After speaking with Sidney about her work, it was really exciting to hear what directions she foresees her art moving towards. As she steps into a new chapter of her life, Sidney is watching herself move away from primarily working with female portraiture. Her plans include focusing on nature, animals and darker themes while still incorporating the ever-flowing, ever-present female divinity that weaves our existence into completion. She is currently going to school for art therapy to unlock new understandings of how art can mend the human soul. Keep an eye out for this blossoming artist and her upcoming endeavors.

2. Lucid Inceptions (Ian Spencer)

Artist Ian Spencer has been evolving his work for over the past decade. In that process, he has been mastering distinct, geometric wood burning techniques. His fascination with this medium seeds from a commission he was asked to create and the process stuck. Recent canvases have consisted of recycled wood, upcycled skateboards and the human flesh. Catch him at Afterlife Tattoo Studios in Lakewood, Colorado continuing his creative research through an ancient practice.

3. Selva Bhairavi

Selva is an Italian-based artist who works with fiber art, environmental art and organic art. After visiting Guatemala and seeing her first traditional loom, she immediately felt an instant connection to the ancient tool and her work spawned from there. Using a handmade loom, found objects, gifts and foliage gathered on a meditative walks, Selva weaves together an intricate story full of symbols, ancestral history and undeniable interconnectedness to each other and the ground beneath our feet. She continues to push herself as she gathers lesser known materials and plants continuously learning about how they dry and how to preserve them. Selva is a primary example of reinventing and reintroducing primitive art forms and symbols back into our current culture. Art forms that long to not be forgotten and have laid out the foundations for centuries of human expression.

4. Derek Carpenter

As a brush glides over a canvas, precise, gentle and caring, the movement and intention is indicative of an offering, a sacrifice, a thankfulness towards a bigger picture. Derek reminds us of the ultimate union of self with oneness; understanding the beautiful opportunities of complete expression and ability to share that joy through gratitude for the whole. He actively supports our planet by donating at least 50% of proceeds from his and other artists products at artofone.org. By giving back to the Earth through creativity and awareness, a harmonious cycle is propelled forth into the unknown.

5. Lowkey_creative (Josh Deitchman)

As suggested by his moniker, artist Josh Deitchman keeps a low profile. Starting his creative journey in 2012, this artist found he had a knack for art and pursued his talents full force. Floating in this sea of new found skills rather than racing to the unknown distance with an aggressive splash, he lets the flow take him. Josh practices patience and poise in his work as he meticulously laying down layer after layer. His pensive portraits retain expressive qualities the viewer is familiar with but perhaps not completely acquainted. He encapsulates female faces in fleeting moments the heart grasps but the mind slowly forgets. By pausing on brief glances in passing, Josh can express a thousand thoughts slipping through a simple demeanor.

6. DAS (Douglas A. Schenck)

Doug has created versatile spaces to reflect, remember and re-envision oneself by using upcycled materials, infinity mirrors, LEDs and a distinct dry-brush technique. From infinity mirror concepts to complex sculptures, Doug is continuously evolving his work with a reconstructive strategy of bringing new inspiration from ashes of the forgotten and discarded materials of our consumer culture. His sculptural work is calculated and recognizable as he treats each piece like a puzzle with limitless possibilities. His work can be spotted all throughout Denver, a few of which are displayed at The Black Box. Find his work in person to fully understand the intricate nature of his process.

7. Caitlin Alexander

Caitlin was first inspired to walk her path as a painter only two years ago at Sonic Bloom. Her work is vibrant and warm with loving intention and care. Her canvas pieces tend to be more prepared and planned out while her pieces on wood inspires the patterns she uses. She recently worked on a mural through PaintCare and Yelp Colorado at Fox Street Compound and is looking forward to working with PaintCare again at Arise Music Festival. Keeping our eyes out for her forthcoming work.

8. Adrianne Tamar Arachne

Adrianne’s work displays a potent mysticism rooted in centuries of healing. She uses symbols, refined oil techniques and shamanic themes to invoke healing patterns in the viewer. As she dives deep into her own spiritual journey, claiming her darkness and shining a light upon it, Adrianne reconstructs her exploration through paint. Interlacing magic, astrology and intuitive practices with her process, she seeks to deepen her roots and connections with her artwork.