A Winnipeg artist is working to spread his work on the streets of the city, one drawing at a time. Lawrence Raya has been drawing large chalk images on streets around the city for the past year. Works include a fish jumping from a pothole and a frog which appear three-dimensional. “I’m trying to bring my work outside on a larger scale so people can experience it and can feel it, rather than this so-called AI art on their phone,” Raya said during a break on Thursday. Raya said he began practicing on paper a year ago and has since moved to vacant concrete in parks he is allowed to work on. “The city is my living canvas,” he said. Raya works with chalk, which means his work is temporary and doesn’t last long, but he posts his work on Facebook for people to see. He added he likes the joy his art brings to people passing by. “Maybe some people are tired or upset by lots of things that are going on, but if they pass by and they smile at my work, it gives me more inspiration,” Raya said. “It fuels me up to continue doing this.”
