Middle of the Road

Truly. Literally. 

That's where I was over the weekend.

One of the best chalk festivals in the nation is held every June in San Rafael. This was their 22nd event! My first festival was 1998 I think!

The Italian Street Painting Marin had a theme this year of Venetian Carnivale- artists created murals of masks, costumes, gondolas... A wonderful variety of colors and textures and scenes. There were also people in costumes parading through the festival!

I always come up with an original design and this year I wanted to give a nod to the fantasy, beauty and surrealism of a Carnivale.

My piece is 'Bella Dea' or 'Beautiful Goddess'. She appears in the canals in a gondola, her hat (which is the night sky) casts a shadow across her face which is her mask.

I have two very talented little nieces who assist me each year. They're 9 and 12. We talk about color and light sources, school and plans for the summer. most of all, we laugh a lot.

Huge kudos to the ISPM organizers and volunteers for a wonderful event and congratulations to all the artists on their amazing talents and stunning murals!!

Endangered Peru in Venice, Florida

Working on a 12x12 mural for a themed Street Art and Chalk Festival: Extinct and Endangered.

I chose Peru and am depicting North Eastern Amazon River basin: a Matses woman (indigenous Peruvian and Brazilian indian), a Jaguar, a Spatuletail Hummingbird, an Uaraki Red Faced Monkey and lastly a Lady Slipper Orchid.

Here are photos from Days 1 & 2.

Diego y Frida: A Chalk Mural

Marin held a 'Pop-Up' Street Painting festival this year; a little smaller, invitation only. It was wonderful! Amazing talent. Spot on organized. Perfect weather. Most of all, a great opportunity to play and create with my chalk friends.

This year, the event had a theme. That's fun, that's new! The theme: 1940s.

The illustrator in me thrived on the theme. Research and photos and articles... the thread wove in and out and around so many interesting subjects and then. I found. Diego Rivera.

At the World's Fair in San Francisco, 1939-1940, Diego Rivera was invited to participate in the 'Art in Action' program. Visitors to Treasure Island were able to watch artists create, and Diego Rivera created a 72' long mural that can now be seen at SF City College. While here in SF working, Frida Kahlo (his ex-wife) decided to remarry. They were wed at SF City Hall on December 8, 1940 (Rivera's birthday.) 

My sketch made it into the Pink Section in the SF Chronicle and I just am so happy with my finished mural! My nieces joined me too this year, they always do and they are spectacular artists!