When you think of street art, you might be thinking about less-than-sightly graffiti scrawled over walls. It's often seen as a sign of decay, and not something many people like to see in their cities and towns.
But many artists are taking back the idea of public art, and showing us that painting something on a wall can actually be an engaging — and beautiful — act of community building.
It's also a great way to inject a little fun and magic into what would otherwise be everyday scenes, like the way one artist in Paris turned average objects into hilarious scenes with a little imagination. And it's also a great way to practice some artistic skill and think outside the box.
Artist and illustrator David Zinn has been leaving his delightful little drawings in and around Ann Arbor, MI, since 2001, turning the sidewalks and walls into canvases on which his characters play and have adventures.
And if you're concerned about property damage, don't be: all of David's art is rendered in chalk and charcoal, so it's completely removable. But that means they also don't last very long, so spotting them is extra-special!
Take a look at some of his work below and let us know your favorite. Who knows? You might even get inspired to embellish your sidewalk with some chalk!
[H/T: One Green Planet]
David has worked as a freelance artist for more than two decades, and the residents of Ann Arbor and the surrounding areas are used to seeing his playful chalk drawings appear on sidewalks, walls, and patios.
Using chalk and charcoal, as well as found objects and natural features, he creates little unexpected scenes around the city.
Some of his characters are recurring. The winged pig here is Philomena, whom David describes as "phlegmatic."
Philomena can sometimes be seen in the company of Sluggo, a green, stalk-eyed monster with "irreverent habits."
And these habits, of course, that make for plenty of interesting scenarios.
David creates all of his artwork spontaneously. He doesn't plan ahead, but rather lets the moment and the setting provide him with inspiration.
He often incorporates the surfaces he's drawing on into the drawings. For example, he sometimes draws on both a horizontal surface and a vertical one to give the illusion of a three-dimensional object.
And here, he's used these bright fallen leaves to turn a sidewalk into a pond.
He also brings in real-life objects that his characters can interact with, like these mice decorating a tiny tree. He also says that beginning in 2013, he found himself drawing a lot of mice.
And this little gift being offered by a tiny penguin.
And he doesn't just use sidewalks and streets. Walls get plenty of love, too.
As do bridges.
His drawings are often quite small, so if you're not paying attention, you might miss them completely.
Many of his pieces play with expectations, and turn the everyday into something a little… different.
And they also suggest stories. Looking at one, you can begin to make up a story about the characters and what they're doing. So not only are they fun, but they're also inspiring!
And when you consider that this is all chalk, it's even more impressive. Although David puts a lot of effort into these, they won't last forever. Luckily, he takes pictures!
