July 03, 2013

kids art, Italian Street Painting, San Rafael, California


click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

Each year 140 colored-chalk wielding local artists shut down part of San Rafael's 5th Avenue and right there in the middle of the road they have a go at creativity. But on Saturday with the thermometer heading towards triple digits I decided to "cool it" and postpone my visit until early Sunday morning. I thought I might be able to sneak in, only to find out I needed to wait until 10AM and be willing to contribute the new $5 admission fee.



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

Youngsters also participate, although their individual workspaces are smaller, measuring 2'x2'. And for the kids, it is only a one-day event, so their work was finished and not walled-off behind guarded barricades.



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

Personally I would sometimes rather admire the spontaneous creativity of children over the tight, constrained, and overly-worked designs of more mature artists. The-proof-of-the-pudding-is-in-the-eating. You decide...
Click this link for chalk-work examples from 2010 done by "grown-ups".


CLICK for 40 new photos on my main website; www.photoarrow.com.

CLICK for preview of my exhibit at Mill Valley Library during July 2013.

3 comments:

John @ Beans and I on the Loose said...

I'm with you on that thought. I'd much rather look at what the kids create which from what you showed here is quite impressive.

AphotoAday said...

Hi SINBAD'S DAD (JOHN) -- Wish I could remember the artist's name, but once someone asked him "when he started to draw", to which he replied to the questioner "when did you STOP drawing". Point being is that kids are natural born artists--it is innate within us all--but eventually in our youth someone tells us we aren't good at it, or other such nonsense and we stop our artistic endeavors. Personally, I think being a good "drawer" takes a bit of talent, which I definitely do not have, but I've heard artists say, over and over, that anyone can learn to draw -- just takes a lot of practice.

photowannabe said...

Love the imagination of these young artists.
Yes maybe anyone can learn to draw but that doesn't make them an artist, just as anyone can point a camera and shoot. That doesn't make them a photographer.
It's all about the person and their eye and their abandon to capture what's in their mind.
Thanks for the delightful story about your crazy youth, (glad you made it out alive) and the info on the yellow car.
I love the shiny classic but talk about an attention getter going down the street.
Have a great rest of the week.

 
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