Erick started this chalk art project on his San Diego sidewalk during the quarantine as something to share with his kids. While the kids’ interest waned—they quickly realized the art was a barrier to their scooter space in front of the house—Erick’s interest in it has kept steady, and it’s allowed him to meet a lot of his neighbors as they stop by to see his work. While I was there, people came to talk and take pictures, and one even brought a friend to see the work. (I actually forgot to take a legit photo of the finished work, so mine is a little wonky.)

The day I visited, Erick was honoring Ruth Bader Ginsburg. He said he didn’t want to add to the array of images already out there of her, but instead chose to recreate a painting by Marc Chagall, a Jewish artist. In it, Chagall’s wife, Bella, is dressed in a black gown and white collar. Erick said he'd been researching the painting and knew Chagall had been deeply in love with his wife, who had been his life-long muse. That made me like the tribute even more, as I remembered RBG’s 56-year marriage and all the stories of her loving partnership with her husband, Martin.

I’ve decided I need more mornings like the one I spent with Erick. Feeling exhausted and less than motivated that day, I’d gotten coffee and planned just to stop by Erick’s for a moment. I ended up sitting there for an hour and a half while he drew and we chatted. I love working on this project, but it also felt great to take time to relax, not rush, and allow for a spontaneous and interesting conversation.

Side note: He has been doing this project for months now and it has made him notice just how little it rains, he has had to purposely wash away his work every week. Whew, California needs some rain soon.