Chalkboard Art is a thing.
Then it became a thing, for Classic Amy Joanne with the popularity of Classic Chalk Art created for our local Art Center’s ‘Chalk & Chew’ Classes. You can read all about Classic Chalk Art and Chalk & Chew (here).
‘Chalk & Chew’ was a thing in Tamaqua for 7 years, the name caught on and classes filled, I was happy to be know as the ‘Chalk & Chew’ instructor.
Leona, the Art Center Director, and I grew an artful friendship. We worked together to keep the Arts growing at the Center, along with many others, those were good times. She also encouraged all Artists to create for and in the Community.
3 years ago in Autumn, during a time when I was figuring out my Artful Journey, (read about the journey and the hiccup (here)), Leona was asked by a local Coffee Shop if she knew of anyone that would create a Menu Chalkboard for their Shop.
Me: ‘Why Yes, Leona, I would be happy too”,
gulp. What did I just agree too, I have never done anything like this before.
And there I was creating a large menu board for ‘Hope & Coffee’.
They supplied the board with frame, and I supplied the time & design using their menu.
It was much needed time, while being creative, to reflect, pray, and think about how I was going to ‘make a living’ doing this Artful thing.
I also remember thinking….Gosh, so many kinds of Coffee, lol!
I learned a lot about myself, about coffee, and Community….and how to create a large menu board by the seat of my pants.
You can read more about Hope & Coffee (here)….and they also have the best Peppermint Hot Chocolate!
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Being known as the ‘Chalk & Chew’ instructor of Tamaqua ~ Students also asked if I would create for their special occasions too!
Chalkboards for a Beautiful Ocean Front Wedding
And Wedding Chalkboards used for 2 Family Weddings back-to-back!
As in the Coffee Shop Chalkboard, the Wedding boards were created using my own measuring system and chalk (a yardstick became my best friend) …each on a distressed chalkboard background.
So Smitten.
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And of course creating my own Marketing in Chalkboard Art, read more about this (here).
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And then….here I was again this past Spring, with my heart beating fast. ‘Why Yes, Malinda I would be happy to!’ Gulp, and double Gulp. I just accepted creating a 95″ Chalkboard Menu.
How the heck was I going to pull this off.
I was happy to say yes to Malinda of 895 Studio (here), she remembered me as the Chalkboard Artist whom had ‘the shop’ in her Shop, So sweet of her. Malinda was the connection between myself and her ‘Foodie’ Friend Darryl of ‘The Messy Pig‘ Food Truck, soon to be Restaurant (here)!
After saying yes, my mind filled with anxiety….where was this adventure taking me? Was this the fork in the road I was to say no or yes too? Was this a learning experience? where was my business taking me? “Dear God, did I miss the sign you sent?”, Gosh I can’t mess this up!
I called upon my Artsy friend Tracy…‘hello Tracy, I need a favor’, Tracy always says Yes before she even knows what the favor is…..she said ‘yes’, and then as she always does, she makes everything better. Tracy helped complete the menu board…and saved my sanity.
After a few texts back and forth with Darryl about the overall look and lettering ….we started in! Malinda supplied the vintage ‘music’ Chalkboard, Darryl supplied the menu and I supplied the time and design.
First painting the Chalkboard, then drawing the design, then measuring and mapping it out.
And we were on our way…..nails chewed down, and moving forward. When we needed a break we shopped 895 Studio…..so nice to be working right inside one of my favorite shops!
Gosh, another large project in the books. My Client Darryl was pleased…..
Folks would stop and watch, it was fun to work inside a Shop and enjoy the company of Shoppers….the menu certainly made folks hungry!
We had an offer from a Harley Davidson Dealership to paint a Bill Board…..although it was flattering, it was a quick ‘No’…..I’m not sure we are up to that challenge yet, lol!
Darryl was so pleased, he asked us to paint the same menu and images on the outside of his Food Truck….although I think it is a great idea, we are just not equipped for the task…..but I did offer him the design to use if he found a painter.
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