I recently came across this article and wanted to share our story. My boyfriend and I have been on a traveling adventure for nearly two years. We trade oil paintings for accommodations in vacation homes. Our Art Swaps have been primarily in the US and recently in the South of France. Our wild and crazy story is attached below.

Cheers!

p e n e l o p e and a a r o n

Modern Day Vagabonds

ARTISTS AARON MEMMOTT AND PENELOPE MOORE have been traveling the country on a painting adventure for nearly a year, while paying next-to-nothing for their accommodations. They gave up their permanent residence and jobs in Savannah, GA–where Memmott had a full time faculty position as a professor at the Savannah College of Art and Design–to set sail on what has become an unpredictable and rewarding undertaking. They aren’t homeless, and they don’t live in hovels. They have been trading their artwork to stay in vacation rentals and second homes. With perseverance, planning, hard work and talent they have successfully pitched a win-win art swap proposal to friends, collectors and total strangers. Thus far, they have had a tremendous response.

The couple started their journey in Utah and made their first trade in June, when they swapped their paintings for a chic, downtown Salt Lake City apartment. Next, they lived in an upscale condo at the Canyons Resort in Park City during the remainder of summer and fall. They recently spent two weeks in Albuquerque in a rustic hillside retreat, while they exhibited their work at the Downtown Arts Festival. They are currently residing in a luxurious mountain hideaway in Heber City where they are developing a brand new body of work. They have upcoming swaps planned this spring on the coast of Washington, downtown Portland, OR and in Bodega Bay, CA. Landlords across the nation, and as far away as Martha’s Vineyard, Costa Rica and Germany, have offered to trade living accommodations for their paintings. “In a world of uncertainty, it was a gamble,” says Moore, “but we wanted to devote our time exclusively to nurturing and building our fine art careers.” While they travel and avoid the cost of rent, their ultimate goal is to save money from their painting sales to build a custom home and studio that would be conducive for painting and conducting workshops.

The couple decided to begin in Utah because Moore grew up in Salt Lake City and Memmott attended the University of Utah where he received his BFA in Fine Art. “We were going with the wind,” says Moore. “We got here and we put our brakes on. Now we’re trying to stay. The West is where we belong .” Before moving to Savannah, Memmott received his MFA from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, where he also taught for three years. Moore also received her BFA from the Academy of Art University.

Memmott’s canvases are essentially urban. He uses a rich palette to paint scenes of glowing streetlights, nightlife, neighborhood intersections, wet reflective streets in signature parts of town, with an emphasis on perspective and light. He frequently paints dynamic diptych and triptych panoramas of the towns and cities he visits.

Moore also paints her surroundings, but instead of cityscapes, she focuses on still-life and interiors. Her inspiration often begins in social settings such as candle lit restaurants and trendy lounges. She often depicts the way a wineglass or table fork reflects the surrounding atmosphere and light. By painting her subjects larger-than-life, emphasizing abstracted shapes (usually found in distortions and reflections of glass and metal), skewing the perspective, and by pushing color Moore offers her viewers new and interesting ways to perceive commonly encountered places and objects.

Memmott is currently writing an online course for the Savannah College of Art and Design and teaches evening art classes sponsored by the Park City School District to adults. Moore also teaches an advanced painting online course for the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. When they’re not painting and teaching, they spend time tracking their gallery representation, assessing upcoming art festivals, shows and competitions, and working on their next equal-value trade of high quality original oil paintings for a place to prop their easels.

For more info please visit their websites:

http://www.aaronmemmott.com
http://www.moorepenelope.com

Galleries:

Gallery MAR, Park City, UT–www.gallerymar.com
Chroma Art Gallery, Savannah, GA–www.chromaartgallery.com
Park Place Gallery, Leawood, KS–www.theparkplacegallery.com
Alpine Art, Salt Lake City, UT–www.alpineartinc.com