NL_081519

newlenoxpatriot.com life & arts
the new lenox patriot | August 15, 2019 | 17
Chalk Walk debut showcases talented local artists
Sean Hastings, Editor
Harry Potter, Godzilla,
“Wizard of Oz” and “fighting
childhood cancer,”
were just a few of inspirations
for the masterpieces
created on different sidewalk
squares at the Chalk
Walk debut in the New
Lenox Commons on Saturday,
Aug. 10.
Open to anyone wanting
to leave their mark on
the Commons sidewalk,
some artists spent up to
four or more hours creating
whatever piece of art they
wanted.
With the temperatures
being as high as they
were and the sun beating
down, many of the
artists brought tents and
umbrellas to keep themselves
out of the direct sunlight.
New Lenox resident
and rising Providence
sophomore Maggie Parham
drew the “Wizard
of Oz.” She knew she
wanted to do something
colorful that would pop,
but to do the “Wizard of
Oz” was a last-minute decision.
“I wanted to do something
that older and younger
people would all know,”
she said.
Parham showed up at
about 10 a.m. and wrapped
up her drawing close to 2
p.m. She recently did a
Sesame Street drawing at
another similar event in
Homer Glen.
Parham won the “People’s
choice” award. Her
strategy paid off.
Another artist who
went the movie route for
his drawing was Chadd
Johnson, of New Lenox.
Johnson based his off of
“Godzilla 2: King of the
Monsters.”
Chalk Walk Category
Winners
Best in show:
•Jessica Weaver
Best first impression:
•Karen Schuld
Most original:
•Kendall Mullen
People’s choice:
•Maggie Parham
Most New Lenox pride:
•Monique Esquivel
“It’s been a while since I
did art,” he said. “I decided
to do Godzilla to pay homage
to the king himself:
Godzilla.”
Johnson complimented
his neighbors’ drawings,
which included a lifelike
lion with a sun shining behind
it, just a few squares
down, a “Peppa Pig” picture,
and more.
He also got to the Chalk
Walk when it opened at 10
a.m. and was working past
2 p.m.
Each artist was assigned
their own square to draw
in, and what could have
been an unlucky situation
with a tar spot in her
square, Kendall Mullen, of
Plainfield, used it to her advantage.
She used the tar spot as
a mouth to one of the characters
she drew. It was unnoticeable
and looked like
it was colored in.
She won the “most original”
award.
Mullen does other art,
and when she found out
about the Chalk Walk, she
instantly wanted to do it.
She came saying she was
just going to “wing it.”
All the artists were supplied
chalk from the Village
but were able to bring
their own materials. Some
New Lenox resident Chadd Johnson draws with chalk in his square the Chalk Walk in the Commons on Saturday,
Aug. 10. Photos by Sean Hastings/22nd Century Media
brought brushes to smooth
out their drawings.
Some artists used it as an
opportunity to show their
love for New Lenox. One
artist drew the Commons
pond with the brick structure
that says “Village of
New Lenox,” another drew
a patriotic heart with New
Lenox written on it.
There were at least two
drawings that were made in
support of the fight against
childhood cancer. One had
a drawing of Mario and the
other had the cancer ribbon.
Megan Applegate,
from the Village of New
Lenox, like most of the
others who came to just
look at the drawings, was
amazed by what people
were able to create with
just chalk.
Plainfield resident Kendall Mullen draws in her square with chalk at the Chalk Walk
in the Commons on Saturday, Aug. 10. She said that she was just going to “wing
it.” Mullen won the “most original” category.