MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota — A Minneapolis artist is reproducing famous paintings through chalk art.
Rebecca Mozdy has been street painting on Minneapolis sidewalks and park pathways for the past few months.
For two hours on Wednesday, Mozdy worked on a chalk painting of Haystacks by Monet at Boom Island Park.
"Sometimes I think everyone has a particular style that they just get drawn towards and for me it was always just impressionism," Mozdy said.
Mozdy lives in northeast Minneapolis and works as a product designer for Target. When COVID-19 happened, Mozdy started street painting in her neighborhood. She first fell in love with it at a chalk painting festival in her hometown when she was in middle school.
"I feel like more people have been out these days [more] than normal which... is kind of nice in a way that we're starting to lean more into nature to find that peace and that inner calm," Mozdy said.
Mozdy's first chalk art reproduction was of Girl With a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer. She's done several since then including The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh.
Mozdy said it's an excuse to get out and see different parks.
"What I notice the most is just how beautiful the places right nearby are and how beautiful Minneapolis is. There's something really special about having these moments where I can just sit for two hours and see what happens," Mozdy said.
While Mozdy mostly focuses on classical paintings, she also recently painted a portrait of George Floyd.
"I think it's important for us to all use whatever tools we have to talk about issues like this," Mozdy said.
Killian Rieder walked by while Mozdy was painting and said she has noticed Mozdy's work while out on her walks. "You're fantastic. Your stuff is just fantastic," she said to Mozdy.
Most pieces take two to three hours to complete and last about two to three days.
For example, Mozdy's Monet in Boom Island Park will most likely be gone by tomorrow. We're expected to get rain.
After posting a picture of her work on Instagram, Mozdy said, "This will disappear tomorrow in the rain. Just like us, these paintings only exist for a brief time."
You can follow along on Mozdy's Instagram: @remo_creative.