Year of the dragon

The Chinese year of the dragon came to Docklands on Australia Day, with this glamorous fellow seeming to break through the pavement on Harbour Esplanade.

The three-dimensional chalk artwork was the creation of champion pavement artist Jenny McCracken who laboured day and night during the week leading up to the January 26 holiday.

The Thornbury-based artist is the reigning pavement art champion from Sydney’s annual Chalk Urban Art Festival and has also won international chalk art competitions.

She said the dragon commission from the State Government was a “dream job” and was one of the few times she had been able to create what she wanted to.

“I’ve always wanted to do a dragon,” she said. “Dragons have to be closely-related to rainbow serpents, so there’s the tenuous link to Australia Day!”

Ms McCracken said Docklands provided a perfect venue and was a great place to work.

“It’s the biggest picture I have ever done,” she said. “The pavement has been great. I love it.  The locals have loved it and everyone has been really supportive.”

“Because it has been so hot I have been doing a lot of it at night and this is when most people have been involved.”

She said many people took the opportunity to learn about pavement art and volunteered to help create the work.

“It’s been a really successful public event,” she said.