by James H. Pence

How did you become a chalk artist?”

I’ve been asked that question many times over the years. A question that usually goes with it is, “Have you always been artistic?” Often I find that people who ask the second question are really saying, “I’d like to try chalk art, but I’m not sure if I have enough ‘talent’.”

For me, becoming a chalk artist was a long process.

I’ve always been interested in drawing, painting, and art in general. When I was growing up I did a lot of sketching and worked in oils. But I wasn’t what you would necessarily call “talented” or “gifted”. And although I enjoyed drawing and painting, it wasn’t something that I did all the time.

I was first exposed to chalk art when I was a freshman in college. A group of us attended a Bill Gothard conference, and Bill did a couple of drawings on stage during the week. We were in a huge auditorium and my group was far removed from the stage, so I couldn’t see his picture very well. Nevertheless, his drawings made a powerful enough impact on me that I can still remember seeing them almost forty years later.

I was fascinated, but that experience didn’t make me want to be a chalk artist.

The next time I saw a chalk artist was when I began attending Dallas Bible College. One of the students, Gary W., did chalk art in chapel occasionally. This time we were in a small auditorium and I was able to see a lot better. I was fascinated as I watched him draw and, when he turned on the black light, it took my breath away. Because Gary and I went to the same church, I got to see him several times over the next few years.

But even though I loved to watch Gary draw, I still had no desire to become a chalk artist.

After I graduated, I started to work as a youth pastor in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Our church participated in a Christian camp and I attended along with my junior high youth group. The speaker that week was Jerry L. and—you guessed it—he was a chalk artist. We met in a very small chapel and so I got to see this man draw twice a day for a whole week.

In the middle of that week, something clicked.

As I watched him draw and saw the impact his art and messages were having on the kids, I understood that chalk art could be a very powerful tool for communicating the message of Jesus Christ.

That’s when I decided to become a chalk artist.

One afternoon that week, I asked Jerry to teach me a little bit about chalk art. Then, after camp, I went home, built a monstrosity of an easel, ordered some chalk, and began to draw. And thirty-three years later, I’m still drawing.

Chalk art isn’t just a medium. It’s a medium designed to communicate the greatest message of all, salvation through God’s son, Jesus Christ.

If you’re going to be a chalk artist, that’s the first point you have to grasp.