Our OWSAA Feature Artist this month is Debbie Krieger. Debbie is not only an artist but she is also an art teacher at Colonial High School. She has been a high school art teacher for 28 years! After you sit back down from giving her a standing ovation for dealing with all of our bad children during that time (lol), think about how many lives she has made an impact on. Think about the creativity she has inspired in our community and the positive impact that can have on our world. Thank you Debbie for all of your years as a teacher!
To be a good teacher you have to be good at and know something about what you’re teaching. Debbie is a fantastic artist and excels at something that blows my mind every time I see it done…sidewalk chalk art. Drawing on paper is hard enough for me so I can’t imagine sitting on the sidewalk for hours in the hot Florida sun while trying to draw a masterpiece with chalk! Below are a couple of her recent works of sidewalk chalk art:
Amazing that she could draw these with chalk, on a sidewalk right! Debbie was kind enough to answer some of my questions about her life as an artist and teacher. Please enjoy what she shared with me:
What/who inspired your love of art? At what age?
My mom and dad inspired my love of art at a very young age, probably 5 years old. My mom came from a family of artists (her sisters and mom). I remember watching her paint with acrylics. My dad was from a commercial art background in graphic design and advertising. They took me to art galleries and museums throughout my childhood and always had a good supply of art materials.
Currently, my son Andrew Salcedo, aka “Trout” who is an artist, has influenced me the most. He paints his surreal expressive oil paintings in a home studio in my house.
What is your favorite medium of art?
My favorite medium to work with is soft pastels.
When did you start doing sidewalk chalk art?
I started doing sidewalk chalk art about 12 years ago with a fellow art teacher, Felipe Morales, who taught me.
Can you explain the process of sidewalk chalk art and the amount of time it takes to complete a project?
The first step in sidewalk chalk art is choosing a reference and making a grid on the reference photo. I love drawing fur and feathers of animals. My last Painted Bunting chalk art drawing was referenced from a photo by a fellow Oviedo photographer, Ken Schmidt.
I draw a grid on the concrete in 1’ squares. A common size is usually between 5’ and 7’. Using the grid, I sketch out the general proportions with white chalk first. I work top to bottom to avoid stepping or sitting on my artwork and I have to start with the lighter colors first. I make the lines, then with one swipe of my hand in one direction can create the feathers or fur.
When drawing a portrait or still-life, I spend more time blending in the chalk (soft pastels). I have spent anywhere from 6-12 hours on each artwork.
Drawing with chalk, in the hot sun, on the sidewalk seems like a messy process. How long does it take to get all of that chalk off of your hands?
I keep baby wipes handy to wipe off my hands before switching to another color, but often times, I just wipe it off on my clothes. I definitely have to spend some time scrubbing the chalk off afterwards, but getting dirty is half the fun!
The enjoyment of doing sidewalk chalk art is in the act of doing it, not so much the end product, especially since it may be washed away within minutes of completion with a passing thunderstorm.
Do you sell any of your art? If so where can we find it?
I have had a few artworks for sale when they’ve been on exhibition at CityArts, but I hope to sell some artworks in the future.
Thank you, Debbie for taking the time to share more of your story with us. I think I speak for everyone when I say we are greatful for your service as a teacher. Your years as an art teacher as well as your art are an inspiration.
To those reading this I hope you enjoyed getting to know Debbie a little better. You can follow Debbie and her work on Instagram @debbiekriegerart. As you read above her son, Andrew Salcedo aka "Trout", is a very talented artist as well as a DJ, producer, and songwriter. You can follow his work on Instagram @trout.art. Below is some of his art work:
Until next month, Enjoy the Arts!
Brian K. Smith
