Chalk Walk

'There's no place like home' is the subject of Te Puke Intermediate's art teacher Sarah Coates' drawing in chalk on the pavement outside her home. SunLive readers are encouraged to email in their own chalk art by 6pm today. Photo: Supplied.


Finding ourselves back in lockdown is no walk in the park although for some it's an opportunity to add some chalk in the walk.

The bottom of No 2 Road in Te Puke is coming alive with colour as one resident is doing her part to cheer up not only her family but her entire neighbourhood.

All it took was time and chalk.

Te Puke Intermediate art teacher Sarah Coates has brought out her chalks once again to create ephemeral art for people to enjoy. This time she has created a work titled 'There's no place like home' which features NZ kiwifruit alongside Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, Toto her dog, and a rainbow.

'People get a lot of joy from happening upon some artwork,” says Sarah. 'I like that it's not permanent and washes away.”

She knows what she's chalking about.

During the 2020 lockdown Sarah created themed drawings to reflect some of the more significant days that passed such as Mother's Day and Anzac Day.

Sarah Coates' son Monty, then aged four, with the Anzac Day chalk art Sarah drew during the 2020 lockdown. Photo: Supplied.

'It's something to get us outside on a beautiful day,” says Sarah.

Many artists work in studios, often in isolation while painting and creating. Lockdown can provide an opportunity to spend time being creative.

Shakespeare allegedly wrote King Lear and several of his other masterpieces whilst isolated from society. There can be a pressure on us all to be creative during a time when we are distanced from the distractions of our normal lives. Creativity can flourish when restrictions are in place.

'We don't have any concrete at our house so i have to do them on the footpath,” says Sarah. 'I will do more over lockdown, just need to get more chalk.”

Sarah uses ordinary chalk as well as soft chalk pastels, and sometimes finishes with a paintbrush and water.

Here at SunLive we would love our readers to send us any photos of their chalk art done today. The weather forecast is for a fine day ahead, apart from some morning cloud, and a possible shower this evening, so it's looking good for doing some chalk art.

If you include the artist, helpers or any art admirers in your photo, be sure to include their full names.

Click here to email your photos by 6pm today, Saturday August 21, and we'll publish them on SunLive tomorrow. You can also email them to newsroom@thesun.co.nz, giving your full name and suburb or town location.


Sarah Coates' Mothers' Day themed chalk art drawn during the 2020 lockdown featured a NZ fantail. Photo: Supplied.

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1 comment

I found this moving...

Posted on 21-08-2021 16:27 | By morepork

...Thanks, Sarah, for these thoughtful tributes. I hope you have preserved all of them with good photos...


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