Nick Larson uses chalk to give the gift of art to his community. On Tuesday, he was using chalk to fill in an elaborate drawing of a woman on the sidewalk at 25th Street.
Larson, who is 43, lives in the Mission and comes out to draw on the sidewalk to keep his sanity during the pandemic, which has “been pretty tough on mental health.”
As long as the weather agrees, Larson is out drawing, using a mosaic style tile-blending approach.
He loves chalk because of its immediacy. “It’s a fast medium, like sketch comedy.”
Originally from Monterey, Calif., he has lived in San Francisco for more than a decade. He has been surviving during the pandemic on stimulus money, but is about to start a new job as a delivery driver.
“I like to draw these strong mystical women and crazy fantastical creatures,” he says.
“I feel most alive and creative when I’m drawing with chalk.”
The Mission has been at the center of the pandemic in San Francisco.
Mission Local has been here to cover it.
Check out Nick Larson’s blog here.
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I look forward to finding these random, amazing chalk drawings. Thank you so much!
I used to feel bad about walking over them, but once while shepherding elementary students from school to soccer practice, we were told that wear and tear was part of the life cycles of the pieces.
I hope he can keep them going.