3D Christmas Street Art

I just thought this was a cool photo. Artist Julian Beever has created a magical illusion of Santa’s grotto on a street in Dover, England.

Viewed at the correct angle, an ingenious combination of reality and art makes this pavement painting appear 3D.

The red post box and the railings are real, but the main picture is all about clever chalk work, drawing on the flat surface of the pavement to create a convincing illusion.

The snowflakes have been added by sticking bits of white paper to the post box and railings, then using white chalk to add a few more here and there.

Pedestrians step around the apparent hole in the pavement, and peer down into the chasm below.

There they see a rosycheeked Santa, with Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, sifting through a pile of letters from hopeful children.

Artist Julian Beever, in Dover to spend Christmas with friends, posed with his 21-month- old daughter Jane moments after finishing the chalk picture.

Beever, 48, said: “The idea is that people on the street are interacting with the art, having their letters delivered straight to Santa. I didn’t know whether to call it ‘Letter to Santa’ or ‘Placing The Orders’.”

Known as the Pavement Picasso, Beever, from Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, has created a series of similar mind-blowing images, including a swimming pool chalked on the street so realistically that shoppers swerved to avoid it.