Plein Aire Pavement Chalking!

[Arrtgrrl]

I started sidewalk chalking in 2010, and so far I am the only one I know who chalks from life, mostly orchids, but with some still life...



This was the first one I ever did. Had no idea what I was gonna do, so I grabbed an orchid I had at home and set it on a small table and drew it in a 6x4 foot or so space.
Here's a still life...



The squares on the chessboard are 1x1 inch. The image was approximately 4x6 foot.
My most recent one:



This was the big one in Sarasota, an international. Many chalkers are what is called Madonnieri, where they paint from photos of famous paintings, religious and secular. This show had over 200 chalkers, I think...
My sponsor was Awsome Orchids, with a shop right there in downtown Sarasota; they gave me a mini orchid which I drew in another 6x4 space.
Anyway, another use for soft pastel, although we use the cheapest ones we can find because our work is so ephemeral. We're also into large pastels, including Crayola [lol]. I got into this because my studio and gallery are getting full and I wanted to chalk but not have to store them — and I thought it'd be fun, which it is, but it's also somewhat like being a bum for a weekend [lol].

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...31712&type= 3

This is the site of my gallery album.
Eileen McHargue [pleased to meetcha]

[Eye]

Awesome chalks there Eileen. Gorgeous orchids. Do you need to have a city permit to do that?

[Journeyman]

Hey exciting stuff Eileen, I’d definitely drop something in your hat
Dave

[artastic]

Wow these are gorgeous, it would make me cry to see the rain wash away all the work.

[Arrtgrrl]

This was actually a very large festival in Sarasota. The previous one is a large festival in Safety Harbor. The top one was at a new small festival in Haines City, so the permit part is taken care of.
Below is a crowd shot of the one in Sarasota, looking north:



And here's one looking south:



The crowds were amazing!
http://www.chalkfestival.com/
in case you want to see more pictures!

[Eye]

Eileen, thanks for the cool photos. Do you have to finish the chalk piece within a time limit? How long does it take yours? You have lived everyone's childhood dream. The cartoon medley in the top pictures will be definitely my kids favorite.

[Arrtgrrl]

Sarasota was 2 1/2 days. Had to be finished by Sunday at 5.

[Scattykat]

wow, very cool work, I've always fancied having a go at this, but don't know if I have the knees fer it any more. Guess it must eat up the pastels...

[Arrtgrrl]

Just did three one-dayers...those are a real challenge for all Chalkers....first one was here in my hometown where I did a portrait from life, the second, at Altamonte, was at a park there...and the third one was my third Haines City one. All of these are one-day shows and exhausting but fun....

At Lakeland I won my first award, a third, chosen by People's Choice. A trophy and some bucks! WooHoo! Vindication!


Here at Altamonte I also got a third, but it was chosen by judges, although they also did a People's Choice....the picture is a little magnetic artist that I set on the curb and chalked really large...those are mini-cones!



This year, because of construction, we couldn't have the Chalkfest in Downtown Haines City, but had to have it at Lake Eva Park. I chalked the view across the lake...

[Arrtgrrl]

Here's the one I painted at my house...you do not have to have a permit to paint on your own property....



It's the one I sprayed with real fix and it lasted, fading slowly with rain, for a month or so....

[manfrommerriam]

Wow. Nice work and it really looks like fun.
Dave