Streets are free art gallery for weekend

Blackpool becomes a blank canvas for international artists this weekend as the resort hosts the annual Sand, Sea and Spray urban art festival.
Start of the Sand, Sea and Spray street art weekend.
Blackpool artist Christian Fenn.Start of the Sand, Sea and Spray street art weekend.
Blackpool artist Christian Fenn.
Start of the Sand, Sea and Spray street art weekend. Blackpool artist Christian Fenn.

Among the street painters who will be transforming brick walls into masterpieces of colour are Yiannis Hajdipanayis from Iceland, and Fabian Florin, from Switzerland.

They will be teaming up with Ivos Santos from Portugal to paint a wall opposite the Iceland store on Topping Street.

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The trio are members of Colour Nomads, an international crew of street artists who travel the world.

Start of the Sand, Sea and Spray street art weekend.
Dale Grimshaw at work.Start of the Sand, Sea and Spray street art weekend.
Dale Grimshaw at work.
Start of the Sand, Sea and Spray street art weekend. Dale Grimshaw at work.

Yiannis said: “It’s my first time in Blackpool but Fabian told me it is a good event and I had to be here.

“We are going to paint ourselves on the wall as crazy colour scientists.”

Fabian added: “We get a great welcome in Blackpool, people stop and talk to you while you are painting and bring you coffee and food.

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“Street art is the art of today. It hits a nerve of the time and the whole city is an open, free gallery.

Start of the Sand, Sea and Spray street art weekend.
Dale Grimshaw at work.Start of the Sand, Sea and Spray street art weekend.
Dale Grimshaw at work.
Start of the Sand, Sea and Spray street art weekend. Dale Grimshaw at work.

“Last year I painted owls, and when I posted pictures on Facebook I had millions of hits.”

Another artist Dale Grimshaw, originally from Accrington but now based in London, said: “I always like to come back and paint in Lancashire, it’s an extraordinary event.”

Between today and Sunday around 30 artists will be in Blackpool painting at various sites around the town centre.