We first heard of Caleb Barnaby when a friend walked in wearing a necklace of his making. Intrigued with the artistry, we explored a little further and discovered Caleb is an artist and an RVer who takes his award-winning designs on the road to art festivals. But we were hooked on the roadtrip nature of his travels.
An artist from a young age, in 2014 at 27, Caleb started a business selling his creations. A self-described alchemist, horologist, and inventor bearing the “Altered Illusions of a Mad Tinkerer,” Caleb’s been traveling full-time since May of 2017.
So we hooked up with Caleb, now 32, and had a little Q&A session to learn more about his designs, his RV travels, and how he got where he is – and where he’s going. Here’s what we learned (plus info from his site CalebBarnabyDesigns.com)…
A California native, Caleb was 11 when his family drove cross-country in a Winnebago to settle in coastal Maine. The son of an artist mother, nature, exploration and creativity always took precedence over new-age technology. He was constantly exploring picturesque environments hiking or sailing Maine’s Belfast Bay.
As a child he would take “perfectly good working objects” and deconstruct them abstract art pieces. By elementary school, he was fascinated with rocks and minerals – and a desire to turn them into wearable art. Passionate teachers throughout high school only fed his exploration of arts and crafts. A jewelry-making class solidified my love for cultivating magic with my hands. Since then, he’s broadened his techniques.
Today, Caleb’s income to fuel his nomadic lifestyle comes entirely from selling creations at art festivals around the country.
Tell us about your transition to nomad…
My “home base” is Florida, but in May of 2017, I decided to make the transition to full-time life on the road. I sold all of my possessions and downsized to fit everything into a travel trailer. It was a long and tedious process shopping for the perfect home on wheels.
I scoured the internet for about a year. My requirements were specific. I needed a layout which included a full-size refrigerator, a shower, enough room for a studio / workbench that would not be on a slide-out due to weight limitations – and all to fit within a trailer that would fit in a standard-size parking spot. Most art festivals allow self-contained RVs to “boondock” in their parking lots, which saves me a ton of money in campground fees.
What rig do you drive?
I finally settled on a 2010 Coachmen M-Series, 18-foot travel trailer and started on a pretty large renovation. I removed the sleeper couch, and built a full-size studio workbench, complete with two sliding worktop pullouts, which almost doubles my work surface. I built a shelving unit beneath the workbench, with 50 individual compartments that house all of my supplies. I also removed the dinette and permanently installed a queen-sized bed. I built custom clothing storage drawers that slide under the entire length of the bed. I renovated the kitchen with a new backsplash and pull-out faucet. I upgraded the battery system, installed a 100-watt solar panel on the roof and solar charge controller.
My van is a 2017 Ford Transit, which I also completely outfitted with custom shelving. It houses my entire art festival booth setup and is an absolute beast towing my home around the country.
How do you find balance on the road?
Finding the work/life balance has been one of my biggest challenges since hitting the road. In between shows, I try to add stops along my route that I’d like to check out. But sometimes pulling myself away from my workbench can be a challenge. That’s the blessing and the curse of doing something that I absolutely love. I don’t always take the time to explore my surroundings. I do try to find as many local hikes and dog-friendly sightseeing in cities. Some pretty epic adventures included Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park and traveling along the Lake Erie coastline, with a ferry-ride to Put-in-Bay being the best stop. Most recently (and by-far one of my most favorite spots), was New Orleans. This city just called to me. It offered so many things that seem to speak to my soul with its cultural flair, great food, awesome music and never-ending people-watching. A few places that are still on my agenda to explore in the future are Austin, Texas, Colorado and many of the national parks out West.
So you dig roadtripping?
So yes, I absolutely love life on the road. I see no end in sight for this traveling business. I’d like to continue branching out into new areas, exploring new places, sharing my techniques with all who will listen and forging my skills from the masters I meet along my travels. I absolutely love the fresh perspective and new view I get on a weekly basis. This road trip life definitely has its challenges, but nothing that can’t be overcome.
For a little bit of R&R and to brainstorm new design ideas, I try to take a month off in my home state of Maine in late summer. Also, along the way, I’m always looking for interesting salvage yards and antique shops to source materials. What’s great about meeting locals at the art festivals is the insider info on all the best spots. A few of my favorites have been Trash and Treasure Barn in Searsport, Maine, and Schiller’s Salvage in Tampa. I hit them up every time I’m in the area. I also use a little bit more caution now after one recommendation led me to a run-down warehouse in a sketchy neighborhood of Atlanta.
Where will we find you this year?
I spend the winters in the South: Florida, Georgia, and Alabama, and in the summer, I travel to shows up north: Pennsylvania, New York, and Michigan. I show at approximately 30 festivals per year. This summer’s (2019) route takes me almost 2,500 miles from Texas to Atlanta to Cincinnati to Detroit to Minneapolis. And that’s just what is scheduled so far for this summer. Some of my favorite events include SunFest in West Palm Beach and ArtiGras in Jupiter, Florida; Allentown Art Festival in Buffalo; and Ann Arbor Art Fair in Michigan.
You can find me this summer at the Decatur Arts Festival in Decatur, Georgia, at SummerFair in Cincinnati, at the West Shore Art Fair in Ludington and Art in the Park in Plymouth, Michigan, and at Loring Park Art Festival and the Uptown Art Festival in Minneapolis. A full schedule of events can be found on my website at www.calebbarnabydesigns.com.