One of the things I love about Denver is that there is never a lack of things to do and see. This weekend I went to the Denver Chalk Art Festival to check out what this year’s talented artists had in store for us. I love seeing their artwork choices, the bright colors, and the painstaking details they can get with a chunk of chalk on a small square of hot pavement. Trying to see all the art is an exercise in patience because there are always a LOT of other admirers trying to sneak a peek and take photos too. As usual I seem to have missed a few but I did manage to get most of the winners. You can see who they are on the DCAF Facebook page
Denver Chalk Art Festival Photos:
Below are the photos I did manage to get along with some additional information I borrowed from the Denver Chalk Art Festival website. Enjoy!
The Denver Chalk Art Festival on Larimer Square is a FREE two-day street-painting festival. More than 200 artists spend hours that weekend turning the streets of Larimer Square into a museum of chalk art.
HISTORY OF CHALK ART
Denver Chalk Art Festival follows street painting traditions that originated in 16th century Renaissance Italy when artists began transforming asphalt into canvas using chalk. The artists were called “madonnari,” after their customary practice of recreating chalk paintings of the Madonna. Historically, madonnari were known for their life of travel and freedom, making their living from coins received from passers-by.
With World War II came many hardships, greatly reducing the number of these artists. The art form was not officially brought back to life until 1972 when the small town of Grazie di Curtatone in Italy started the first International Street Painting Competition. Today, artists worldwide are taking to the streets, bringing with them new ideas, techniques and excitement for this ancient form of expression. Handmade French pastels have replaced the simple chalks previously used and the paintings have become complicated images of traditional master-style works, modern pieces and surreal chalk art creations.
Street Painting
The creation of a chalk painting takes many hours and is often not as simple as it seems. First, the artists must draw an outline of the original painting in proper proportion using pencil or a charcoal pastel. Then they begin to lay the base of colors. Using a number of colored pastels, the artist layers the chalk, blending the colors to create shadow, contrast and depth. So one might ask, ‘why street paint when the artists’ efforts disappear immediately?’ As avid street painters will tell you, this is performance art, where the process of creating the work is more important than the finished piece. For many, the dialogue with spectators can be as rewarding as creating their masterpieces. People can view the work in all stages of progress, from layout and design, to color application, and of course the finished creation.
ABOUT LARIMER SQUARE
As the Mile High City’s oldest and most historic block, the buildings along Larimer Square tell vividly the story of the birth and early years of Denver. Today Larimer Square boasts a distinctive selection of local merchants, award-winning chef driven restaurants, and a collection of Denver’s best bars and clubs.
Source: About Festival
Want to try chalk art? Here are few tools for getting started.
I’m lucky to have done a bit of traveling over the past 30 plus years. But I’ve never really had an outlet where I could share all my experiences. I have a ton of photos stuck in albums that are lurking in the dark realms of my office closet just waiting for someone to open them up and take a look. (I foresee a lot of scanning in my near future!) Given, many of them are family photos that I didn’t take personally. But they still tell a story just the same which brings me back to why I’m starting this blog. I want to share my viewpoint of the world with others. I want to help inspire you to get out there and conquer it for yourself and have fun along the way!