by Syed Feisol Ahmad

My first taste of what a traveling artist does happened at the Edmonds Arts Festival over 30 years ago. It was like falling in love, the excitement of it all. I liked it so much, a few years later I became one – a traveling art fair artist.

People said to me “You’re so lucky you’re doing what you love” while looking at my artwork and commenting on how beautiful it is. “Yeah, I guess so, I’m having a lot of fun” I replied agreeing with them. They acknowledged how wonderful it is that artists live their passion.

Whitney and I at the 2012 Celebration of Fine Art in Scottsdale, Arizona

For years I would have this same conversation with people in my booth. And every time we would talk about it, I would believe it less and less. I started to feel like a fraud. I saw my wife, and other artists who are passionate about making art. They are compelled to do it and feel out of sorts if they are not creating something after being away from the studio a while. I looked at them and I knew I was not that.

I like to make art; I like to work with my hands. It is satisfying to make things, but I am not compelled to do it. I began to doubt that art is my passion. It took years to realize that, for me, it was not about making art.

Some time ago I was talking to Connie, a friend who’s married to an artist. We were talking about artists and making art. She surprised me by saying, “Syed, you are an accidental artist.” I said ,“ Yeah, I think you’re right – ‘accidental’ artist fits me.” It didn’t occur to me that the visual art path was open to me until I met an artist, fell in love and got fully immersed in her art life.

For a while I was satisfied with the accidental artist status, which made me feel less of a fraud. I felt that I belonged to an artist category, even though the category was made up by my friend. It was a category nonetheless. Some of the acceptable categories are; visual artist, performance artist, studio artist, commercial artist. You see, it feels safe to belong to something that has a definition. I no longer felt insecure about my artist status because I’m an accidental artist.

Then one day I read about an artist who described himself as an “itinerant artist.” He fully embraced this concept of himself. He saw himself, and other artists similarly engaging in a niche – itinerant work, the art fair industry. This industry is rife with uncertainties and unknowns. He brilliantly went on to fill the voids by creating a database packaged in a thick spiral bound book called the Art Fair Sourcebook.

Greg Lawler, the author/creator of the Art Fair SourceBook. Photo by Larry Berman

The Art Fair Sourcebook is the go-to source material for itinerant artists who wish to embark on a journey of selling art by traveling to faraway places. Gallery artists ship their work to galleries. Itinerate artists prefer travel to where the market is – to cities and communities where their art is appreciated and collected. Traveling on the highways of America, they setup booths, interact with locals, make sales, then teardown and get back on the road again to the next art fair. Wash, rinse, repeat, each weekend same gig different city.

Polaroid of me and our brand new model year 2000 Dodge Ram Van replacing the trusty but smaller and underpowered Chevy Astro Minivan. Pulling a trailer behind, we would have enough inventory to be on the road for months at a time.

This lifestyle is much like the migrant or itinerant farm workers following crops in harvest seasons. Or the carnies following a carnival or circus as it moves from city to city. Nomadic is one way to put it. Gypsies is another characterization we ascribe to ourselves.

Twenty five years of touring the art fair circuit is less about art for me. It is more about travel. All the time I spent in the studio creating art is so that I can be on the road, be on the move. I have art fairs to go to, so I make art. I am an itinerant before I am an artist.

This all may sound like I’m selling myself short as an artist. I hope I’m not. Yes, I was insecure in the beginning like many emerging artists. I’m just saying that my first love is travel. Luckily for me, I have found a profession to support that love.