Sidewalk Chalk: Tide Pool

When I was growing up, there was a lot of street chalk art in our neighborhood - amazing 3D visuals, usually of various gods from mythology, sometimes the imaginative cosmos or nature scene... artists would be creating it right as we walked by - carefully around the work, of course.

And then there are some mind-blowing 3D Street Chalk Art masters - something I pore over on and off online and show to the kids.

Anyway, so, sidewalk chalk art being a default summertime activity, kids have been indulging in it on and off, as expected. I willingly tag along as well, assisting the kids as needed, with a mug of morning coffee in hand, and maybe a small jug of milk/lemonade and cups for the kids to help themselves in between.

We just use the low grade, cheapest-at-the-store chalks which are not as vibrant and colorful, soft and easy to apply as some special grade "Sidewalk Chalk". But we are happy with it so far as we are not doing anything too fantastic.

Ana brings along one of the Ed Emberley's Drawing books we have at home, to draw from; or just doodles whatever she fancies; sometimes writes a few words. She prefers to just draw the outline and not color in; I end up coloring in her drawings.

Og has been particular about what he wants to see on his area of the sidewalk - he makes up elaborate stories to be represented as best as we can. And I am the appointed "drawer" while he is the "colorer".

Today, he was specific about creating a tide pool scene on the sidewalk. "You draw the creatures, Mama, like starfish, a limpet family, chiton, crab, anemone, urchin and a lobster who got pushed out by the sea and got caught in a tide pool; and I will draw the background water and the mud and the sand, and a sea monster that hides in the sand."

I was, naturally, thrilled about his choice as it indicated that the fascination with tide pools from our recent study still continues.

Of course, what about the water and the sand. "But, we don't have brown, Mama, so that's why I am going to color the mud purple and the sand pink."

And, then further out, away from the tidepool, is a family of hammerhead sharks swimming about looking for food to eat...

If we start early enough in the morning, we get about a couple of hours of cool shade to work under; after which it gets pretty bright and hot to be drawing on the sidewalk where there are no mature trees to offer the shade we need.

I know we need the rains and it has been an unusually long spell of hot and dry weather for my neck of the woods, but am glad for the dry days when we can be outside on weekends, drawing to our hearts' content, until it gets washed off and we can start over again another day.