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Art for Evolving Souls

2015 Start!
2016
First Booth
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024

2024 Festival Season

May 3th - 5th - Apple Blossom Festival, Wenatchee WA
May 23rd - 26th - Juan de Fuca Festival, Port Angels WA

June 22nd - Carnation Rock the Nation, Carnation, WA

July 18th - 21st - Sequim Lavender Festival, Sequim WA
July 25th - 27th - Art in the Park, Richland WA

August 3rd - Index Arts Festival, Index WA
August 9th - 11th - THING, Carnation WA

October 5th - 6th - Salmon Days Festival, Issaquah WA

Studio on the Move

Meet 42 - our moving art studio.  42 is the answer to life, the universe and everything.  She was the answer when we needed to determine the future of Grateful Heartist.  You see, Grateful Heartist loves to travel and connect people when they least expect it.  Traveling to 2 states in 2023 and 22 festivals later, she got a good taste of Washington in all flavors of weather.  I to, am a nomadic soul, so having my home and studio on wheels, greatly appeals to me.  I've enjoyed new views all year, ocean, desert, river, rock, bramble, cedar, and snow.  We have plans to art on the outside, to reflect the adventures we live in our very own Improbability Drive. (Have you caught on to the Hitchhickers Guide to the Galaxy, references?)

The crew behind GH

Meet Christopher Kochon, the heartbeat of our creative journey! From the get-go, he's been by my side, bringing his energy and knack for problem-solving to every aspect of Grateful Heartist. Whether it's setting up art booths with precision or taking charge of inventory and shipping like a pro, Christopher does it all with a big grin and a can-do attitude. His love for art and belief that art is vital for the times in which we live, making him not just a partner, but a kindred spirit in our mission to spread creativity and joy. Rainy days? No problem! With Christopher around, we turn challenges into opportunities and downtime into laughter-filled moments. Beyond the business, his passion for travel and meeting new faces adds an extra sparkle to our adventures. Here's to the man who makes every day brighter, one art-filled adventure at a time!

Christopher
Kochon

Grateful Heartist Tinker

I believe that art speaks, connects, and transcends boundaries allowing us to heal, grow, question and evolve. Art is the definition of what it means to be humankind. My journey has instilled in me a passion for uplifting those around me, leaving a positive impact on the world, and setting an example through my own growth and development. I thrive on challenges, approaching them with a growth mindset and breaking them down into manageable steps.  

I have faced uncertainty and instability for the majority of my life.  At every turn, I have turned to art, it allows me to express my pain when its too much to bottle inside, it allows me to drain the anxiety that eats at my dreams, it allows me to make sense of the world around me in a way that I can understand.  Art allows me to connect with other souls that hurt, that dream, that evolve.

Saffrel
Michelle
Kochon

Artist | Founder | Visual Catalyst

History and Foundation of Grateful Heartist

Grateful Heartist was an act of blind faith.  There I was working graveyard shifts by night, sleeping in my car by day, creating art in the library on my days off.  Yes I was homeless, and felt frustrated with the world.  I saw clearly that life was not working in my favor, so I took a jump.  I decided that if I was going to be poor, I was going to be poor doing what I loved.  I have been drawing/creating/writing since I could hold a pencil.  Growing up with turbulence around every corner, art became my sanctuary, my friend, my therapist, I simply had to trust.

While working the graveyard shift, I began realizing that the power of my art extended beyond me, as co-workers started asking for memorial art for family members and pets that have moved on, People felt a connection within the art, moved to tears as the art began to touch places deep inside the soul, validating hopes, voicing loss.

2015 I let go of what I thought was stability - my graveyard job and invested full time in Grateful Heartist.  The years of booths, festivals and galleries later, I have seen magic happen again and again.  I've spoken with a publicly non verbal child, who found something in the art worth connecting over.  I've seen men break down in tears finding a piece that gives voice to the pain they feel after the passing of their mother.  I've seen joy, mourning, and relief at finding community. I've seen hope spread from person to person as they gather around the art as an ice breaker.

Grateful Heartist has been a leap of faith, labor of love and a lesson in trust that never stops teaching.  Looking forward I want to create immersive experiences that take the stories behind the art to another level.  Animating the art to convey the deeper story, combined with a guided meditation to help facilitate a sacred space of breathing and introspection.

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