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A few passing clouds. Low 49F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph..
A few passing clouds. Low 49F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph.
CLARION AREA ARTIST Jason Lewis works on a chalk rendition of the Clarion River during Saturday’s Chalk on Main event in downtown Clarion.
EMILY LEWIS OF CLARION, youth contestant, with her depiction of a jackalope.
SHOWING OFF HER puppy “Peanut,” Verra Mechling (left photo) of Clarion drew the pup in chalk during the Chalk on Main sidewalk art event in downtown Clarion on Saturday.
STARTING UNDER SUNNY skies, the Chalk on Main event at Clarion’s Summer Fest on Saturday was hit with rain, forcing artists to try to cover their sidewalk creations.
ELAINA SHEFTIC OF CLARION was hard at work on her chalk artwork of a lion during Saturday’s event in downtown Clarion.
AN OCTOPUS WAS the subject of the chalk drawing by Lindsey Snyder of Clarion on Saturday (right photo).
CHLOE WIANT OF Rimersburg works to get her drawing just right at the Chalk on Main sidewalk chalk art event in Clarion on Saturday.
CLARION AREA ARTIST Jason Lewis works on a chalk rendition of the Clarion River during Saturday’s Chalk on Main event in downtown Clarion.
EMILY LEWIS OF CLARION, youth contestant, with her depiction of a jackalope.
SHOWING OFF HER puppy “Peanut,” Verra Mechling (left photo) of Clarion drew the pup in chalk during the Chalk on Main sidewalk art event in downtown Clarion on Saturday.
STARTING UNDER SUNNY skies, the Chalk on Main event at Clarion’s Summer Fest on Saturday was hit with rain, forcing artists to try to cover their sidewalk creations.
ELAINA SHEFTIC OF CLARION was hard at work on her chalk artwork of a lion during Saturday’s event in downtown Clarion.
AN OCTOPUS WAS the subject of the chalk drawing by Lindsey Snyder of Clarion on Saturday (right photo).
CHLOE WIANT OF Rimersburg works to get her drawing just right at the Chalk on Main sidewalk chalk art event in Clarion on Saturday.
CLARION – Clarion needed the rain; the U.S. Drought Monitor considers the area to be experiencing a moderate drought. It just didn’t necessarily need the rain at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 6, when 19 individuals were participating in the Chalk on Main sidewalk chalk art competition held as part of Clarion’s final Summer Fest weekend of the season.
The artists, who started enthusiastically drawing at approximately 8 a.m. under sunny conditions, were forced to cover their creations with plastic sheeting a bit over two hours later as clouds slowly gathered and the radar showed rain approaching. What began as a light shower, picked up in intensity, creating puddles on the sidewalk and causing water to seep under the makeshift tarps.
After 45 minutes, the rain stopped and the artists uncovered their semi-completed works in front of the Main Street Center. A sense of disappointment took over, some tears were even shed. The drawings of a lucky few were simply wet, the more unfortunate majority had their drawings smeared or obliterated.
Before the rain, however, the contestants of varying skill levels were enjoying the day, earnestly sketching away as Taylor Banner, vice president of event sponsor the Clarion County Arts Council, watched.
“I was looking for an event where children, young adults and adults could all come together and do something as a community. My brother and my niece have competed in outdoor competitions in Virginia, so that’s where I got the idea. It’s a nice way for them to spend time together and I thought it would be a good thing for our community,” Banner said.
“Everybody wants to see a strong art community thrive here,” added Nancy Hanna, founder of Summer Fest through her ad hoc community organization, The Local. “We felt like a chalk art competition would be something that is a stepping stone into getting artists together, kind of a calling out to the artistic community. Young people could participate and we were hoping to get some professional artists and people who are really good artists to participate as well.”
Artists were divided into three groups — youth (ages 6-10), young adult (ages 11-17), and adult (ages 18-plus). Those in the youth division were competing for prizes such as art kits and gift cards, while cash was offered as awards for those in the other two groups.
Chalk was provided or competitors could bring their own supplies. The subject matter was participants’ choice, the only restrictions being that no references to politics, religion, drugs or violence were allowed.
Taylor Ion of Clarion, competing in the youth division, drew a butterfly with multicolored wings.
“I really like to paint and just be creative. I really like to draw [butterflies] because I can make different, unique wings on them,” she relayed.
Another of the five youth competitors, Violet Edsel, who was with her family vacationing from Milford (located in northeast Pennsylvania and considered part of the New York metropolitan-area), worked nearby on a breakfast-themed drawing. She explained her sketch, which included bacon, eggs and pizza: “I love drawing and art. I love breakfast and thought it would be a good idea.”
Clarion’s Emma Zacherl, a teenager and more experienced artist, created a portrait of the Iron Giant, an animated character in a movie of the same name.
“I thought it would be good for me to practice other medias from what I usually do,” she said on her reason for participating. “I usually don’t work with chalk and I don’t really work with pastels either. It’s good to know things other than digital and watercolor.”
As to her subject, Zacherl reported, “I like that movie and, honestly, I didn’t know what to draw because I don’t draw with chalk that much. [I wanted to draw] something that people would get; a lot of people come up to me and go ‘Oh, is that the Iron Giant?’”
Verra Mechling, one of the other 10 young adult competitors, worked on a representation of her puppy, Peanut — the long-haired dachshund on hand serving as a model.
“He’s my dog, I love him,” the teen said. “He’s two weeks old and very fresh in my mind. I’m very happy to draw him, he’s my inspiration.”
Further down Main Street, one of three adult artists, Lindsey Snyder of Shippenville, was drawing a vibrant blue octopus using brushes and water to help blend her chalk.
“I’m using water and paint brushes and basically painting with chalk to try to get it in all the crevasses and blend it to create something pretty,” she noted of her technique. “I just really wanted to make something colorful. I wanted to make an octopus that changes color and use a lot of different [colored chalk]. I love color.”
Also competing in the adult division was Jason Lewis, a Clarion-area artist of some local renown. He was working on a scene of the Clarion River.
“It’s the Clarion River in my mind, I didn’t really bring a picture,” Lewis said. “I’m a painter and I’ve done a lot of paintings of the river. I’m basing it off my memory of the river.”
Because of the rain, the contest, which was to end at noon on Saturday, was extended. According to Banner, the artists decided to recreate the same pieces on their own throughout this week, submitting pictures of their work by this Saturday, Aug. 13. The drawings will then be judged digitally and winners determined.
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