Every year we are flying to Florida , for the annual Sarasota Chalk Festival. We took part 3 times in Sarasota, and then the Festival moved to the Venice Airport, although it kept the Name. The founder of the Festival is Denise Kowal, she sees the Festival as her own Piece of art. It is a gathering of Artists of many nations, always exceptionnel peaceful, indeed, you can see no difference between different cultures or nationalities or religions, because all are motivated by the same aim, to create something beautiful and to spend a good time with friends. At one Point before the Festival the organization always becomes a great mess, everything seems to sink into chaos, but nevertheless, this Festival always gave Gregor and me the Chance to create something new, or big ---Things we have no Chance to try somewhere else.
By the way, this sand-sculpture was done by Gregor Wosik. Because at the same time every year the World Cup of Sand Sculputure takes place at Siesta Key, where is supposed to be the perfect sand for modelling. That is Gregors first try , he is interessted in every Kind of art
2011 was the first time, we took part at the Festival. We were hidden in a quiet crashed street , --Dolphin street --a Little bit away from the main stream. Nevertheless it turned out as our first really big success, we never had so many spectators!
The "Navis" -Local people on the Avatar planet, call the act of finding the deep contact to the big dragons , Leonopteryx, -Toruk Makto. The moment, their hearts are beating like one heart, they call "Tsaheylu" .
So Gregor and me tried hard to come to this state, but have been never successfull. In winter 2018 endet our collaboration --
2012 I was alone in Sarasota, without Gregor. The theme of the Festival was "Circus" --because Sarasota is famous for homing the Ringling Circus, a very huge Circus , founded 1919, which had even own Trains. -- So first I took part for 10 days in an international Group Project, initiated by Kurt Wenner. He had some more tricks in his pocket, that is why our Picture at the end Looks very interessting. ---Then I painted for 3 days my own 2d, "Sad Lion" --who has to work in a Circus, and is dreaming of her mail husband, living free in the nature
2013 Gregor and me went together again . This year the theme of the Festival was "Veterans" ---which lead for the first time for some heavy discussions under the artists, because the Americans worship Veterans, and the all the europeans did not like Veterans, because for us it means un-necessary bloody war. ---So Gregor and me just Chose a friendly politician, and we put freedom and peace into the Center
2014 was the theme "extincted animals" --and we moved the whole Festival to Venice, 20 miles south of Sarasota. First we took part again on a Group Project, the design was made by Kurt Wenner, the leading and organization part was Julie Kirks Job. We have been 30 professional artists from all over the world, and about 15 local volounteers.
At the end we made it into the Guiness world record book, Mega 3d
When finished, Gregor and I did our own Piece, not on the Airport but Venice Downtown, next to the Museum.
Dinosaurus coming back to earth.
This was no world - record, but much more inspiring and more fun to paint!
The following year, 2015 , we made at first again a Group Project. The Sketch was done by Kurt Wenner, but when he arrived, he could not manage the Organisation. He was really tired, because he created a 3d Museum in Mexico City. That is why he passed the Organisation to Gregor and me. It was a miracle to see, how Gregor managed it, whithout any Knowledge of English, but he convinced all the People, because he knows, what to do and does it with Passion. And after some days the Group grew together very strong, so that everybody gave his part for this large Picture. It was a powerful sign, because at the same time the brutal bomb attack in Paris took place. --- - This is the final result -- I must admit, Master Kurt Wenner used the photoshop very much, what is not in my Intention and not the sense of our work . For comparison below the original Picture
