North Texas student turns chalk hobby into business during pandemic
DALLAS - There’s a North Texas college student who is literally “chalking up” her new business to the pandemic.
Before going into quarantine, Brinley Ash spent all her time studying and working a full-time job. Then she was furloughed.
It was during that time that she was able to take her sidewalk chalk art to a whole new level.
“It all just started for fun. I’ve actually been drawing for years. I've done a lot of chalk work just for my friends. But I got really busy with work and school and so it took a background to my life,” Ash said. “I got furloughed and we actually shut down for a couple of months so just kind of I went back to my creative side. I was like, 'Oh, what should I do? I should just start drawing.' So I started drawing on my driveway in my neighborhood and people started noticing. And it just kind of occurred to me, 'Hey, what if I did this for other people too?'”
In the past, she may have been hired occasionally to create chalk signs for restaurants or weddings.
Now people are paying Ash to create chalk art pictures at their homes to celebrate birthdays, graduations and other special occasions.
She said the most request pictures are Elsa, unicorns and Spiderman but she can create almost anything people ask for.
And for all the amateur artists out there, she said blending is her best tip. She uses her hand to wipe the color to smooth it out and help create new shades.