What Happens When It Rains?

Probably the number one question I get as a street painter.  Besides the obvious smart ass response "We get wet" is that it washes away.  And here's what happens to the art...

Washed out Madonna

After one night of rain, a days work is almost completely washed away.  This piece was 4' x 6' on concrete, and took about 6 hours to complete at the Italian Family Festa.  The original was intense with color and contrast, the results of layers of chalk.  But a wicked storm blew through Tallahassee in the middle of the night on Saturday and did a lot of damage.  There was a tent over the work, but it didn't help much. 

The day began rather dewy and damp, and it took awhile to get the layer of tempera paint to dry enough so I could start chalking.  It was so damp, I couldn't get the duct tape to stick for the border.  But we were lucky to have a relatively rain free day.

Here is the finished piece on Saturday. 

Madonna with child by Italian Renaissance Artist Guido Reni

There is no way to preserve or seal chalk on the street or sidewalk without changing the art.  It is what makes the art special.  It is but a fleeting flash of brilliance and beauty, like a colorful sunset or listening to a concert.  Enjoy the moment!  (Then take a picture and share it with all your friends on Facebook!)

Rain Almost Washes Out Street Painting Festival in Daytona



We assess the damage early Sunday morning.



The 11th Annual Arthaus Street Painting Festival (part of the Port Orange Family Days) was a success, despite two downpours on Saturday. The first was around noon, and wasn't too bad. Most everyone was able to cover up, and get back to work about an hour later. But the second one came at 5 pm after a full day of chalking and literally washed away most of our work. It was very discouraging, but this is Florida, and we all know that it "occasionally" rains in Florida. I waited for the majority of water to run off, then we tented it loosely with plastic.

Sunday at 7:30 am we uncovered it to let it continue drying so I could get to work as soon as possible. I just barely finished at 12:30, in time for the judging at 1 pm.  (I didn't know I could paint a tree in 15 minutes!)  When you have to rush, it isn't as good as you want it to be, but it still looked pretty good, and I was happy to have it finished.

This "Artist's Choice" winner was a photo I liked, but I changed the background to make it more colorful. It was the perfect proportion for the odd 5' x 10' sized area and was a real crowd pleaser, especially with the kids. After the prizes were awarded, we waited around for about a half hour for the shadow to cover the entire work, so that the pictures would turn out well.  Thanks to Craig for taking such great photos during the event!