Chalk Video & SDFS Update

I got another great email last week after this year's chalk painting event in Little Italy.

Hi John, I was at the festival last Sunday with a couple of friends and enjoyed watching you paint. I took pictures that day and later thought I'd create a quick movie as a thank you for my friends who took me. Since this wasn't planned, I didn't get any contact info on any of the artists that day. You are the only artist I know how to contact because of the t-shirt you were wearing for sdfinishingschool.com. You are very talented and I enjoyed your art and your websites very much. Since you are in the video I made, I thought you might enjoy seeing it. I wish you every success and hope to see you and your work again some day. Sincerely, Terry Whitley

Check out Terry's really cool video of us all chalk painting at the 2007 Gesso Italiano in San Diego's Little Italy. Thanks, Terry! I always greatly appreciate documentation of me working and I'm sure all of my chalk street painting fans will appreciate it, too.

On another front, I am disappointed to write that the SDFS 2007-2008 school year has been pushed entirely into the 2008 calendar year, despite the certainty of my last set of posts. I confess to having underestimated how much time I would have open for SDFS after Logan's arrival in September coupled with an unexpected surge in service demand the last two months, all while preparing for my presentation with Heather at next month's American Arts Festival at the San Diego Convention Center. Its the first time we've shown together even though we just celebrated our tenth wedding anniversary last week. Of course I've been also doing my usual October events in Little Italy and here in Sherman Heights at next weekend's Dia de los Muertos. My apologies to everyone waiting for more info and who thought they had a set schedule for workshops. I need more time to organize my materials and finish up details on both the SDFS site and the various videos of this year's projects, not to mention update my portfolio site as well. Please stay tuned to these posts for developments as they happen and a special offer from Heather for your upcoming holiday shopping. As always, thanks for your support!

Starry Night chalk painting in Little Italy

I had a blast today doing my sixth year of chalk in San Diego's Little Italy for the annual Festa. Thanks to everyone who came out today and shared their thoughts and complements about this painting. Here's the first few photos, I'm going to bed.





Especially thanks to everyone who took pictures of me working for me, I'll be doing a larger presentation using all of your work soon!

Here's a pic of my 2006 piece displayed today:



I will be sure to post when this piece gets installed!

Logan is here! and other events this fall

The biggest news of all this year is the birth of our daughter Logan Annelise on September 18, 2007. Logan was 20" and 7lbs 10oz when she arrived at 7.58 pm.

My amazing wife Heather labored for two hours as the sun set outside our home and Logan was born by candle light in the water, just after dark under the guidance of our awesome midwives Jamin and LaShel.



Anyone keeping score may remember that Hunter's birthday was two days later, here's a cute picture of us



Oh yeah, work stuff:

I will be finally ready to open registration for the new season at the San Diego Finishing School-- the form should be live this Saturday morning October 13, 2007. The limited spots are available first to SDFS newsletter subscribers, so if interested, click here to sign up for that newsletter and priority registration opportunities in the future.

I will be around Little Italy all weekend to talk about the School and chalk on the street at Beech and India as part of Gesso Italiano and the Precious Festa October 13 and 14, 2007.

I will be doing a Day of the Dead altar in Sherman Heights at the end of the month and will be posting exact details next week.

Heather and i are also doing the American Art Festival at the wonderfully convenient San Diego Convention Center Thanksgiving weekend Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I will have more new paintings from the cloud series I showed at Artwalk in Little Italy in the spring (see earlier post), including a large series of small paintings instead of the other way around.

Heather will have much of her custom jewellery there as well as a selection of her popular peace sign and wishbone pendants, both of which make great gifts!

More details, preview of new paintings, and all that new portfolio stuff coming as promised, as soon as I can.

Chalk time again in Little Italy

I'm still working on editing all the info from 2007 so far and its already time for the annual chalk street paintng event in Little Italy here in San Diego. If you go back to the beginning of this blog, the first articles are about last year's project as the Featured Artist of 2006 Corso Degli Artisti.

This year I've been finishing that project up and readying it for permanent outdoor install in Little Italy after display at this year's event October 13 and 14, 2007.

Here's the latest snap (I am working on the final lettering next).



The festival has a new name this year, Gesso Italiano, and a new location on Beech Street, and so I'm switching gears somewhat as well. Instead of my usual Italian Renaissance Masters theme, I'm jumping instead to one of my more modern-day heroes, Vincent Van Gogh and a painting that I still admire no matter how many times I see it as a worn out poster or trendy hand bag embellishment.



More on these projects as they develop and the long promised videos all coming soon. Stay tuned.