Chalk One Up For Me!

 I was SO EXCITED when my neighbor and friend, Scott, who works at an early intervention program called Kids On The Move approached me and asked if I would be their chalk artist at the Riverwoods' Chalk the Block. It's a fundraiser for a school who works with kids with Autism.

I was so excited not only to be a kid and draw all over a 9 foot by 16 foot parking stall, but I was excited to help get the name out for a great cause!

The theme for Chalk the Block this year was "Remember When..."

To tie in memories, childhood, and the goals of early intervention I came up with the idea to draw a child blowing a dandelion (remember when you used to do that) and all the seeds floating up and turning into the dreams come true of children with special needs and early childhood challenges. My heart was totally into it and I thought of my kids most of the time while I was doing it and remembering all the benefits out children have received because of early intervention programs like this one.

Lindsey came to help me when I realized that the rain was impending and I just wanted to get it done that day. We had 3 days, Thursday - Saturday to have it completed by 3pm Saturday. So with her help and later on, my brother, Aaron's amazing talent to make free-hand lettering look like stencil work I was able to get the artwork done just before the rain started falling on Thursday night.

I was planning on it washing away by the next day so I was just trying to enjoy it by taking a bunch of pictures to remember it by. But with some of my family, Lindsey and other friends from Kids On The Move we covered it up, hoping it would last until Saturday.

You'll have to look at the pictures to see the process, see the final and then find out more about my experience of drawing in the parking lot...

Recreating the Kids On The Move Logo

Starting the base of the face while Lindsey works on the sky for me.

Aaron drawing his impressive letters to match the logo font!

Moments after I wrote the last letter it started to sprinkle so I hurried and got a shot to remember it by.
You can see the freckles of the raindrops.

Every one working to cover the art. We had a tarp, plastic sheeting, a canopy and salt bags to put on top of the plastic to try to steer the water away...

We left it covered all day Friday because it just continually rained.

Saturday morning we decided to uncover it and see what we had left to work with...

I was amazed to see how much had survived all the rain. The most important parts were still there. And, although, I had vowed to not redo it after the rain, I still really wanted people to see what I had drawn for Kids On The Move.

Ta da!!!!!

See me at the top? Ya, I was pretty proud! Never done chalk art like this before! Lindsey came and help me with the background and red box again and we got it all done that afternoon so people could enjoy it for the rest of the show.

Final Product and after it was all said and done, I like my second round better than the first.

Later that night, Lindsey, her sister and I took Brother and Sister to see all the artwork and especially to see what Mommy had drawn... I'll save the part with the kids for the next blog post (smile).