Street painting has been recorded throughout Europe since the 16th century. Street painters in Italy were often commissioned to create votos and ex-votos, and it was said after the festivities or with the first rain, both the painting and painter would vanish.
But an early rain did not dampen optimism for chalk fest artists at the Expressions in Chalk street-painting festival on Sunday in Wortley Village, London. When I arrived about noon artists were very much visible redoing and restoring their colourful street drawings as visitors watched and asked questions about their work.