Moss Street Paint-in

Last Saturday was the annual Moss Street Paint-In here in Victoria. Moss Street is around the corner from my house, so even I didn’t have an excuse not to go. It was a lot of fun: tremendous crowds, the art was a mixed bag (Miles Lowry stood out), and there were a couple of life-moments that jumped out of the art frame. First, there’s the guy on a front stoop chatting up a lovely woman; behind him sits a man with a make-shift sign, complete with arrow pointing directly at the chatting man’s head. The sign says: “Smart, funny, intelligent MAN looking for a positive relationship.” Everybody (women) who walked by the house wanted to talk to this guy! Next up, this guy with his Harlequin Calf, er, Harlequin Great Dane, caused a stir. The dog was more painted than some of the art. I wonder if his human has a snow-shovel-sized pooper-scooper at home? Some artists brought their own models for live drawing: And some decided to draw directly on the sidewalk, irrespective of models, transience, permanence, or material gain: I liked this last one, Michelangelesque bodies on the floor instead of the ceiling. The car tire-tracks add a particularly modern, insouciant touch. The people-watching was the best part of the afternoon. I kept wondering what happened to that chatting couple and what the relationship between the man holding the sign and the man being designated was…?