Today we’d like to introduce you to Hector Diaz and Ken Mullen.
Lifelong friends Hector and Ken have been street painting for almost 23 years. Hector stumbled across the Lake Worth Street Painting Festival during its second year. The idea of creating a large-scale chalk image on the street, an image that would wash away with the rain, seemed so different and exciting that he was compelled to give it a try.
He created a small 4’x6′ original piece that was probably not worth the asphalt it was drawn on, but that experience began a long relationship with chalk that would last for years. The following year he signed up for the festival again without hesitation, deciding to tackle a larger, better-known piece. He enlisted his childhood friend and fellow artist, Ken Mullen, and together they set out to create a 10’x12′ rendition of “The Shrine“ by John William Waterhouse.
For the next several years Hector and Ken honed their skills at the Lake Worth Festival, sometimes working together and other times creating solo pieces. it wasn’t until several years later that they decided to take a shot at creating a 3D piece.
They settled on the Beatles Abbey Road, creating a 3D image of the Beatles crossing the festival street. That image was the beginning of the Chalk Guys as a team. They quickly moved on to other events and have spent the past few years building their brand through festivals and clients across the country.
Has it been a smooth road?
We have been very fortunate to have made many friends along our journey. The chalking community is full of wonderful, giving people who are happy to help other artists grow and learn. Through trial and error, observing fellow artists, and honing technique, we have enjoyed a fairly smooth transition from amateur hobbyists to professional artists.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Chalk Guys specialize in both 2D and 3D chalk art. 3D art attempts to force you to embrace illusion and see ordinary things in unexpected ways, and this is the draw for us. Together, we have a whimsical nature, so our tendency is to create fun pieces, often with a pop-art focus, at festivals/events, or for private clients.
We utilize either chalk or tempera paint, both of which will wash away with water, so the temporary nature of the medium ensures that the “performance” of creating the image is just as important as the finished product itself.
What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?
One example of a time that made us proud to be Chalk Guys was during a 4th of July event in 2015. We had one day to create a large 3D image. Florida weather in the summer can be notoriously uncooperative, and midway through the day the skies opened up and washed our entire image into the gutter. It was devastating, and we felt awful that we would not be able to complete the job for the client.
Upset at the defeat, we prepared to break the news to the client. As the sun creeped back out, however, we decided that we would give it another shot. We found a dry patch of pavement and worked feverishly. Six hours later, we completed an image that by rights should have taken us a full day to create. It was on that day that we really came together as a team.
We both took pride in our work, and we were loathed to disappoint our client. At the end of the day, we both knew that we pulled it off, and we learned something about our own persistence. As icing on the cake, that image ended up winning the client a “best in county” award later that year.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.chalkguys.com/
- Phone: 561-236-8484
- Email: info@chalkguys.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thechalkguys/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chalkguys/
Image Credit:
Craig Houdeshell – @blinkingeyeimaging
Getting in touch: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
