Takin' the Blog for a Walk

wealthy neighborhood

Posted by Brien Lee on July 5, 2008

Takin the blog for a walk in the neighborhood of Wealthy Street we often see sidewalk art. Last Sunday was a rather elaborate affair; A heart with angel wings, the word "Hope" written in the middle, and sunflower seeds set in a little pile in the middle of it. There was a little angel statue and a pinwheel next to it.

Was the artwork done by a child who lost a young brother or sister? Was it some kind of memorial to a soldier? I wondered if the angel had a connection to the bird seed.  What was the thought? That the birds would be taking the blessings of the angel or the young artist up to heaven? We were curious, but not enough to knock at 5:30 a.m.

I meant to come back for a picture later on but forgot and rain washed it away. The artwork was just unusual enough that I felt a connection. Remember, I had just lost my uncle, an artist, two days earlier and was leaving later that day for the memorial service. Like life, the artwork was temporary. 

A day or two after my return from Omaha I determined to find answers to the art even if it meant rapping on the door. Fortunately someone was outside when we passed by and was willing to talk. The person we saw was the artist and, without disclosing her age, lets just say she's no child.

Throughout the next couple hours she proceded to tell us about herself, ask about me, show us pictures and a painting. I told her about my trip to Omaha and what my uncle meant to me while she got me a chair and Sir Fido a bowl of water.

She was going to replace the washed out artwork while we were there but not until she was sure we were comfortable. She brought out bottled water, a couple beers and, when it started to get cold and dark, sweatshirts.

She's been doing sidewalk art for quite some time but doesn't consider herself an artist. The one piece I saw was the first time she added angel wings. So what did it all mean? Nothing really. She just likes to be creative and she likes feeding birds. I suppose it's like any other art and means different things to different people. (It could've been a trap for curious individuals. Anyone who bothers to ask will have to meet a most interesting individual.)