Chalk of the Town 2016

Pochis Bank Art Studio was hired by the city of Homewood to create a giant pavement chalk mural in their “Chalk of the Town” at the Homewood Art and Garden Street Fair for the second year in a row. The annual fair features 75 artists, musicians, garden workshops, vendors and children’s activities over the course of two days.

We continued our tradition of re-creating an art masterpiece.  Inspired by the Art Institute of Chicago’s fascinating and successful exhibit on Van Gogh’s “Bedroom” paintings, Nancy looked through Van Gogh’s paintings for something in keeping with Art and Garden theme.  She came across a series of wheat field landscapes, and settled on Van Gogh’s “Wheat Field with Cypresses” in the collection of the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The Pochis Bank Studio artists worked right in the center of the festival, with spectators actively checking in our progress over the course of the day. It was a scorcher but the artists were prepared with plenty of sunscreen, water and hats!

With copies of Van Gogh’s classic in hand, we began work at 7:30 am.  We drew a 15 by 20 foot grid on the pavement and transferred the image in chalk. Next we created an under-painting with tempera paint in order to make the colors vibrant and capture the brushstroke texture that Van Gogh is so famous for.

Over the course of the next seven and half hours, over 70 pieces pieces of chalk in 13 different colors were used to make this masterpiece come to life.

Huge thanks to artists Tracee Badway, Brandin Hurley, and Natalie Michals for working so hard in the extreme heat.  This artwork ended up being one of our favorite projects of the year!

And most of all, thanks to the citizens of Homewood who have enthusiastically embraced us as part of their beautiful summer tradition!