Totally Texas -- So just go paint!

Main and Fourth Streets

Frisco, Texas

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The blurbs in the weekend newspapers intrigued me -- free form sidewalk chalk drawing and finger painting every Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Frisco, adjacent to the SoDeVis Gallery at 6927 Main St., in downtown Frisco. I’m usually just the tag-along on my daughter and grandsons’ adventures, but with mom busy, the boys and I checked it out by ourselves.

Diana Moyer at SoDeVis had laid out an ample supply of sidewalk chalk, marked off several spaces of the concrete parking lot for drawing, and outlined some graphics to get things started. The boys’ mom stocks her purse with paper and crayons to keep them busy and quiet while eating out or waiting for appointments, so they understood the chalk drawing instantly.

But then there were the finger paints. Moyer set out paper cups of paints and pointed them to a white-painted strip on the gallery’s outside wall. No brushes, no equipment. It took the boys a little while to get used to the freedom of paint on their fingers and nobody telling them not to make a mess.

And that they could use all their fingers and mix the colors anyway they wanted. And paint anything they wanted. They leaned heavily to sharks and piranhas, jellyfish and dinosaurs.

How long will this last? (Moyer shrugged, but so far, she seems good with the Saturday time frame.) What happens when the white strip is filled? (She repaints it when necessary.) How much does it cost? ($1 per person.)

We packed sunscreen and casual clothes, although tempera and chalk are washable. I’d suggest going with a group, as a meet-up or play date. Take breaks -- the gazebo next to the parking lot is surprisingly pleasant even in Texas heat, but I’d take a cooler of drinks on the next visit. Get over your inhibitions about finger paint under your manicure and
participate with the kids. How many chances do you have in life to be silly together?

And take photos, as always, since you can’t put the gallery wall on your refrigerator door at home. Just, before you back the kids against the wall for pictures -- be sure the paint is dry!

Moyer asks people to RSVP with a tweet or email through www.sodevisgallery.com/.