The adjective “ephemeral” means “lasting a very short time; short-lived; transitory;” an alternate meaning is “lasting for just one day.”

Sand sculpture is one of those “ephemeral” art forms I find fascinating.  Sculpted at low tide the art only has a lifespan of a few hours, and its three dimensional nature dictates that we view it in those few hours it exists.  We visited a great show in Hollywood (Florida) a few years ago, and perhaps will sometime make the national competition in Fort Myers, Florida.

Another art form — street painting — has a notable festival just a few minutes away from our home in Lake Worth, Florida.  This last weekend was that annual fest, and I made my annual visit…  Apparently it’s one of the biggest events of this kind in the country.

Street painting is somewhat easier to capture for posterity than sand sculpture since it’s not three dimensional, but the perspective (viewing at an angle) and the medium (asphalt and/or concrete) make it –like sand sculpture — necessary to view in person.  In one sense the art is even more transitory than sand art, in that a thunderstorm can wipe out an artist’s efforts in a few seconds…

Weather was favorable this year, and I captured some images from this year’s festival — my favorites, but a fraction of the total — and I hope they communicate the beauty of the art (you can click on images to view full screen) …

Creatures are a popular subject…

Even many odd creatures…

 

And characters….

There’s a fixation (and probably rightly so) on the feminine form…

There’s the famous and the dead….

Rock and Roll….

One thing quite apparent to me was how the distraction of surroundings destroys the sense of perception the artist wants to portray…

With distraction:

And without:

Just as I had to focus to see the art in the intent these artists had planned,  I wonder at how often daily I let the distractions and surroundings take my focus off the intent of the Artist of the World….

Here’s some more art from this year’s show:

This is just a sampling of the wonderful art at this festival, but at the end of the day — and even as I write — the beauty is being ground away by the tires of the cars and the eventual rain that came…   My daughter works in Lake Worth, and the pictures above were taken after I dropped her off in the afternoon, and at the height of the festival.  A few hours later we both walked down the streets (the barricades were down, the crowd gone) so she could see the art, which was still fairly intact.  The drivers were barreling down the street, oblivious to the art and the days of work represented under their tires…

The apostle James tells us that our lives are as a vapor, a whiff of smoke, that’s there and then gone.  Only what has been recorded — in the lives of those we impacted — will continue on (at least in this earth).  We bear some semblance to the art we create….

“Two little lines I heard one day,
Traveling along life’s busy way;
Bringing conviction to my heart,
And from my mind would not depart;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one,
Soon will its fleeting hours be done;
Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet,
And stand before His Judgement seat;
Only one life,’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, the still small voice,
Gently pleads for a better choice
Bidding me selfish aims to leave,
And to God’s holy will to cleave;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, a few brief years,
Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears;
Each with its clays I must fulfill,
living for self or in His will;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

When this bright world would tempt me sore,
When Satan would a victory score;
When self would seek to have its way,
Then help me Lord with joy to say;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Give me Father, a purpose deep,
In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;
Faithful and true what e’er the strife,
Pleasing Thee in my daily life;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Oh let my love with fervor burn,
And from the world now let me turn;
Living for Thee, and Thee alone,
Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne;
Only one life, “twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one,
Now let me say,”Thy will be done”;
And when at last I’ll hear the call,
I know I’ll say “twas worth it all”;
Only one life,’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last. ”

— C.T. Studd