I find if you try it's easy to notice inspiration everywhere. The way a bird creates a nest, twigs and discarded forest trash turning into a home, or the delicate swirl of wine in a glass by someone with the nose and palate to appreciate what they are about to taste, an artist with enough vision, a box of chalk, and a fresh street.... all of it becomes a glimpse into the imaginative mind of another. It's delicious, raw, sometimes dark, and yet up lifting and hopeful. What a blessing knowing that if you are stuck in a rut, or feeling unmoved, a spark can be found by clearing dirt off a colorful stone, or walking your local street corner with the eyes of a tourist instead of a local.
This weekend I was lucky to visit the Denver Chalk Art Festival for the second time. Watching these diligent masterpiece makers in action was something hard to describe. As we milled around them they seemed oblivious to our prying eyes, the incessant sun, and the call of ice cream scents carried on the occasional wind. Locked in their own world, covered in chalk dust, they happily did what they do best... created, each in their own way and all as fabulous as the next.
I often don't like voting for art, simply because I think it is so dang subjective. As a photographer I'm strive to capture the story, to show my readers what I see and how I saw it.. to pull the emotion through the still image. While some people love this, it's not for everyone. So while I might quickly walk by a drawing of a dog, it's the place that others stop and stare for hours.
Yet at an event like this one, where artist can not only get recognized, build followers, but also earn money, I did my best to help those that halted me in my tracks. Drawing is not my medium so anyone that can look at a blank space and with their hands create a picture from it, keeps me in awe.
If you've never visited the festival you should check it out next year. Or you can peruse my few images below and take a walk with me down a street in Denver on a weekend they are willing to close off one of the busiest roads to create room for something besides the hustle and bustle of normal life.
