LAST OF THE CHALK ART

Photo above is a lovely example of the 3D artist's ability to create realism and the perception of depth.  The birds actually seem to be flying out of the painting.

Please note to view a bigger and better picture just click on any of the photos.

 

Today I have an appointment with my ophthalmologist for a yearly eye exam.  Though the procedure is painless it has that annoying aftermath of leaving me with owl eyes from having had my eyes dilated and of course things like sunlight and any bright light is intolerable.  Therefore I decided to post my last photos of the Sarasota annual Chalk Festival, before my appointment and while my eyes are not super sensitive to light.

 

Photos above and below are truly whimsical. I loved the juxtaposition of having the lion being the psychoanalyst listening intently to his animal tamer patient.

The photo below was an interactive piece where a person can sit within the painting and look  as though they are a part of it.  Unfortunately there was no one volunteering for the seat of honor when I snapped this picture and just as unfortunately there was a large  tripod, with a profession camera mounted to it, that blocked the "sweet spot" for my taking photos.  Even from this slightly off center viewing position, one can see how the troup of acrobats appear to stand up and out of an otherwise flat  painting

 

Lastly my favortie, not because it was more creative or bigger, brighter or even better than any of the other works of street chalk art but simply because the bright red nose on the circus clown stood out proud and loud . . .  even if I stood slightly off center. 

 

 

Don't know about you but I'm now in the mood to go see a circus.  :D 

A Stroll Down Chalk Boulevard

As I begin to type up the next installment of the Sarasota Chalk Festival, I look out upon a gray, dark and rainy day.  Today is the last day of the festival and hopefully this bit of rain is very localized and doesn't carry southward to the city of Sarasota where it could render the chalk paintings a murky mess.

The chalk festival featured both 2D and 3D art work and I soon learned that perspective (where the viewer was actually standing) made all the difference.  Unfortunately, due to the crowd, the most desirable perspective was not always readily available.  I truly envied the event photographers who had unlimited access to ladders, scaffolding and "straight-on-frontseat-center" viewing advantages.  I am looking forward to viewing their professional photographs.

The photo at the top of this post is (I think) a 2D painting.  It is an imaginative one, as were most, featuring a circus performer atop the arena, her foot disappearing through a hole in the top of the  roof . . . and then reappearing at the bottom of the painting through a hole that the blue-chalk "artist" is busy sketching.

 

Below is whimsical work of 3D chalk art.

 

 

 

And below is what I think could be called 2D art.

 

Wish I could have been able to take advantage of the ladder used by the event's professional photographer  . . . or that I was another foot or two taller.   But anyway the above photo is my ground-level perspective . . . all 4 ft. 11 inches of me.  :D

Below is a nice example of the 3D art.  The toys are all rather shabby and are laying at the bottom of what appears to be one of those "Grab a Prize" machines that you see at carnivals and amusement parks.

 

Bottom photo shows how the "grabber" really pops and stands upright in clear 3D definition . . . especially visible with the people in the background.

 

There are more photos of this year's festival in my photo files but as I mentioned in another posting, I don't want to flood you with a bunch of my mediocre pictures.   If any of you are interested in reading more about the Annual Sarasota Chalk Festival their website is : http://www.chalkfestival.org/

 

The Circus Comes to Town - Almost !

Once a year the city of Sarasota Florida hosts a Chalk Festival.  Chalk artists from around the world come to paint the streets with their chalk art - even the big name 3-D chalk artists (the ones you see in all those email attachments). 

This was my first year to actually see this Sarasota event and to walk down the boulevard (along with a crowd of onlookers) to view these incredible pictures.

Granted the elephant in the photo above is not 3-D chalk art - it's a statue heralding Ringling Bros. and Barnum Bailey Circus.  Sarasota was the winter home of the old Barnum Bailey Circus, here the performers could relax and practice their routines before the next circus tour began.  So this year's theme for the chalk art was "The Circus".  Very apropos.

 

Everyone wanted pictures and a few daring souls even ventured out on to the tight rope. 

Careful there, don't fall !

I will be posting more photos of this event but I didn't want to post them all at once for fear of overwhelming anyone (especially since my photography is not the best - lol)

The following photo is not of the Sarasota street chalk art but I couldn't resist snapping a shot of someone snapping a shot ...