How Did I Get Started Street Painting?

 This was my first attempt at street painting in 2005 at the Lake Worth Street Painting Festival.  

 I have a degree in Design from UCLA, and many years of painting and drawing experience, but this was something I was not familiar with.  The medium, soft pastels, and the huge scale, were totally new to me.

My older daughter, Mercedes, and I thought it would be fun to try.  We had been the to see the festival the previous two years, and kept saying to ourselves, "We could do that".  So we did!

Unfortunately, these pictures aren't very good.  For some reason the color is a bit off.  It wasn't large, I think we started with the smallest size (4' x 6').   We were hooked, especially me.  The next year we were put in the featured artists section on Lucerne Ave., away from the craziness on Lake Blvd., and have participated each year since.

Mercedes, age 15, hard at work.

Carmen, age 9, shows off her first street painting.

And Carmen, my younger daughter, wanted to join in so badly.  I set her up next to us on a blank area of asphalt, gave her some chalk, and let her go.  Little did I know how amazing an artist she would turn out to be.