Painting Live at the Market
There’s something magical that happens when you set up a small tent by the ocean, pull out the brushes, and start painting in public. The market becomes a studio. The street becomes the gallery. And for a few hours, the boundary between artist and public completely disappears.
This is where I spend my weekends – at Ericeira -Atitudo Market and Baleal Eco Market, two small coastal towns on Portugal’s Atlantic coast. It’s here that the philosophy of IVOILUSTRA comes to life.
Why the Market?
Van life means I’m always mobile, always close to the ocean, always ready. Markets felt like the perfect way to share the work directly, no middleman, no fancy gallery, just me, my paintings, and the people who walk by.
Live Painting on the Spot
One of the most rewarding parts of being at the market is painting live. People stop, watch, ask questions, and suddenly they understand the process. They see the water on the paper and the pigment being mixed. They realize that art isn’t some mysterious thing that happens behind closed doors. It’s alive, it’s spontaneous, it’s right in front of them.
And commissions happen in real time. Someone approaches with a photo and a story. We talk for 10 minutes about what matters, what moment they want to preserve. Then I pick up my brush, and start painting on spot, live. By the end of the day, they walk away with a hand-painted watercolour, created just for them. There’s no waiting, no shipping. Just the raw, immediate joy of holding original art you watched being born.
This is the “from surfers, to surfers” philosophy in action. Direct. Honest. Personal.
What You’ll Find at Stand
Original Watercolours — Paintings created in my van studio, ready to bring the ocean into your home. Each piece tells a story of a moment and a place.
Live Commissions — Bring a photo or a story, and walk away with a custom watercolour created on spot. Available in A4 (€50), A3 (€100), and A2 (€150).
Affordable Prints & Postcards — If original paintings aren’t in the budget, postcards and fine art prints bring the same coastal soul at a fraction of the price. Perfect gifts, perfect mementos.
The Experience — Watch the process. Ask questions. See how watercolour works. Understand why I love what I do.
Slow Living in Action
This is what slow living looks like. I’m not in a studio grinding out paintings to meet quotas. I’m not managing an e-commerce store from a desk. I’m here by the ocean, meeting the people who love this work. I’m taking time to paint. To talk. To create commissions that matters.
And it works. People come back. They bring friends. They send photos of paintings hanging on their walls months later. They commission pieces as gifts for people they love. The market becomes a gathering place for people who care about authentic, handmade art.
Where to Find Me
I’m at the markets Atitudo in Ericeira and Baleal Eco Mercado in Baleal every weekend during the season. Follow @ivo.ilustra on Instagram for updates on exact dates and times, or check back here for a market calendar.
If you can’t make it to the market, you can always commission a painting online or browse original artworks and prints in the shop.
But if you’re in the area, come by. Stop, look around, watch the painting process. Talk about what you love. Maybe you’ll find the perfect piece to your home. Or maybe you’ll commission something that becomes a memory you carry forever.
That’s the magic of the market.
IVOILUSTRA Where art, ocean, and community meet every weekend.