Hi! I am Sheryl Lazenby and I LOVE-LOVE-LOVE  street painting.

Normally, creating a piece of art is a very private thing - it's me and the canvas, me and the paper, me and the camera. Chalk festivals and events afford walkers-by an opportunity to witness art as it is being created. Many have probably seen emails containing chalk art - but it is truly something to see this done in person. I can tell someone that this piece is TEN FEET BY TEN FEET - but until I show a photo of me working on something that size, they can't picture how big that really is! (The horse to the left is the smallest of three, about 4.5 feet tall. Each grid square equals a foot.)

I am one of the founding artists of the Ohio Chalk Art Guild and a member of the Florida Chalk Art Guild. Recently, Jennifer and I joined forces to work together on larger chalk paintings and to unearth interesting projects on the ground and on the walls of Ohio. Check out our galleries to see what we have been up to.

---

I am Jennifer Russell. "Street painting is a constant reminder that art is about process rather than product." -- Kurt Wenner

My favorite question to be asked is "What happens when you're done?"  My answer is always the same, "It fades or gets washed away by the rain."  Street painting temporary, but for a minute it can be the most beautiful thing you see that day.  I think that's why I fell in love with it.  And it's just a lot of fun!  Nothing is better than creating art outside on a beautiful day.

As one of the co-founders of the Ohio Chalk Art Guild, Sheryl and I have the same vision for The Guild, to promote large format chalk work throughout Ohio and the Mid-West, so teaming up to create large format art together was a natural next step for us!  Keep an eye out for us in and around Ohio.  We hope to see you on the ground!!!

---

People Are Talking

German Village Haus und Garten Tour added a chalk drawing event this year and it could not have been a bigger hit! I don’t even get to take credit for the idea -- Sheryl Lazenby came to me with the concept, thinking it would add an interesting layer of programing to this year’s showcasing of historic Schiller Park.
Artists from all over Central Ohio applied to participate, and we scheduled those selected over 2 days. The operations were smooth, the creations were spectacular, and the audience response was terrific.
The return on investment, calculated in oohs and ahhs and media coverage, was huge. Thanks to all for engaging our guests in such good humor, and for capturing a dozen elements of our beloved park in chalk.

Katharine Moore
Chair, Friends of Schiller Park

Sheryl Lazenby is personable, efficient and incredibly talented.  She brought a team of 6 professional chalk artists to Summer Jam West.  It was Sheryl who approached us with the idea of including chalk artists in our art and music festival.  Although we loved the idea, we didn't know where to begin or who to ask.  Sheryl took care of it all with almost no time or effort from us.  We were able to completely trust her to represent us professionally.  Including chalk art at Summer Jam West brought about major excitement from our attendees and we're certain that we'll see continued growth in our attendance, due in part to including this unique art form.

Patricia Von Niessen
Executive Director, Summer Jam West