Chalk art can only last as long as the weather allows it, but for Newmarket artist Kim Egan, it's more about the passion in the process rather than the finished product.
Egan captures her art on camera, preserving her work before the rain washes it away.
"It's so temporary, but it's a lot like doing art alone in my apartment," said Egan. "Nobody gets to see that unless I post it on Facebook or Instagram."
As the minutes and hours fly by, she finds herself deep in her art.
"It's all-consuming," said Egan. "I'm not all that aware of what's going on around me. I'm drawn right into it. You go into a different place where you forget everything else."
Egan has dabbled in a variety of mediums, including embroidery, handmade jewelry, flower pressing, and painting. She took part in Aurora's Bell Box project. She said chalk art is therapeutic because she doesn't think about illness or issues.
She remembers her first chalk art piece as a brightly coloured vase of flowers. The Victorian-inspired artwork took her 14 hours to complete, and she was surprised by how well it turned out. She returned to the art form for comfort after losing her grandmother, Rose, at the height of the pandemic, which affected her mental health.
"I have struggled so much and am still struggling," said Egan. "I suffer from mental health issues, anxiety, and depression, as well as physical health issues. It isn't always so easy."
One of her most notable works includes a colourful bird surrounded by flowers and a rainbow at Riverwalk Commons. Egan would use her fingers to blend in the chalk as her back and knees took a toll after countless hours on the pavement. She said she wouldn't feel any aches and pains until after it was done.
Despite chalk art being only temporary, she remains committed to her craft. Her beautiful artwork has also generated interest from the community, leading to paid opportunities that have turned her art into a business.
She will be creating chalk art masterpieces at Culture Days in Newmarket on Sept. 27, following a workshop in King in the summer as a member of the Society of York Region Artists.
She was recently hired by the Town of Aurora to created a piece as a tribute to singer and songwriter Janis Joplin at Saturday Night Fever on Sept. 7 when the challenge of working outdoors and temporary nature of her art were exacerbated by the weather.
"It kept raining off and on, and I had to keep covering it with a tarp and take the tarp off," said Egan. "It got soaking wet. I thought it was destroyed. I had to wait for it to dry out. It was challenging."
She finished her piece and snapped some photos of it before the rain washed it away.
For more information about her work or to inquiry about opportunities, you can contact her at [email protected] or by calling (905) 836-8227.
