Via Colori paints streets of Old Town Scottsdale

On Oct. 18-19, Old Town Scottsdale celebrated the first annual Via Colori Painting Festival where artists from all over created chalk paintings of every color and design atop the surface of a parking lot.

Over 120 artists worked under the blistering sun on black asphalt to create mini masterpieces of art. The goal was to raise money for three local charities: Arizonans for Children, Devereux of Arizona and the Scottsdale Cultural Council. The event brought in about $60,000.

Internationally renowned Renaissance street painter Melanie Stimmel was the guest artist brought in from Los Angeles. Stimmel arrived to Phoenix early in the week allowing her to teach workshops.

Stimmel says that when she paints a design she will usually never reuse it; saving only a select few on canvas or paper.

She spent most of the two days painting a version of the mythological story "Leda and the Swan" in a 12-by-12 foot square.

Local feature artist Sue Chenoweth brought some of her students from the

Metropolitan Arts Institute of Phoenix to help recreate her work of, "The World We Live In, The World We Know."

Holly Schineller and Lindsey Greenberg-Becuar spent the two days creating a collage of memories in honor of Schnillers late grandfather. He was an avid traveler and in her art she tried to carry over some of her grandfather's passion for it. The focus point of her work was that of two 5000-year-old skeletons found in an archeological dig. It was of a young couple who died in an eternal embrace, forever looking into each other's eyes.

Some artist works were as simple as Sandy Banker's portrait of her daughter's rescued dog "Ben." A 12-foot tall portrait of a happy-looking canine.

Jesus Murillo of Phoenix created a mural of St. Theresa celebrating her Feast Day. A deep blue sky atop the Pinnacle Peak Mountain, over a cutout of the Arizona flag took over the asphalt canvas.

Yet just as soon as they pieces were created, the City of Scottsdale would power wash them away. Murillo said he wasn't bothered with it at first. But after putting his blood into his work it was starting to get to him, as he wrapped tape around his raw fingers.