Today we’d like to introduce you to Naomi Haverland.
Naomi, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started doing chalk art about ten years ago for the Denver Chalk Art Festival as a way to give my paintings more publicity- each year I would reproduce one of my paintings in chalk. But then I started getting more and more chalk art jobs and I ran out of paintings to reproduce so I started creating new compositions just for the chalk. I frequently worked alongside Chris Carlson- one of the country’s best 3D chalk artists. However, I never tried my hand at the 3D chalk art since I had such stiff competition in the same city. However, when I moved to Seattle, I noticed no one else in the city was doing 3D chalk art, so I decided to pick it up myself. Last summer I created a 3D piece on the Amazon campus once a week. I also travel a lot to festivals around the country and for other corporate gigs. I just got back from Beautycon in L.A. where I did a piece of 3D chalk art for Aussie.
Has it been a smooth road?
Some parts of the road have been smooth and some have not. Every time I do a piece of chalk art, I learn something new- especially with the 3D pieces that have so many technical elements and have a lot to do with the science of vision and perspective. So I’m constantly learning how to perform the “trick” of the illusion more and more effectively, so when I look back at older pieces, I often cringe at my inexperience.
The smooth part of the road has been the audience reception. It seems the crowd is always enthusiastic and easy to impress. I occasionally get a critic, but overall, people are always excited and encouraging when they encounter me laying down my chalk art- even when I’m not so thrilled with a particular design myself.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
For the most part, I do chalk art on pavement. While the 2D chalk art is more impressive in person, the 3D chalk art is more impressive in photos, and therefore more marketable. I’m proud of the fact that I design all my own work (some chalk artists strictly do reproductions). I almost always use my own photographs as references to create my designs. This lets me control the lighting and angle more, so the composition is more striking. I also give a lot of thought to how the public will interact with the piece. That could mean the viewer is intented to pose with the image, or it could mean I present the viewer with an engaging prompt that invites them to think more deeply about the art. The unique aspect about chalk art is that it is created to be encountered and enjoyed at one specific moment and place. After that, it is washed away and only remembered.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
When I was in LA last week, what I liked the most was how laid back and friendly everyone was. Everyone seemed to have a genuinely chill and inviting vibe about them. Coming from Seattle, I like that people in LA have the same casual style as we do, but with a dash of southern warmth.
Pricing:
- $600 per day for chalk art jobs
Contact Info:
- Website: www.NaomiHaverland.com
- Phone: 303-349-4833
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naomihaverland/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/NaomiHaverlandchalkart/
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