As jazzy riffs washed over his work area, Rodger Francis carefully applied layers of pastel chalk to High Street's pebbly surface.
Francis was one of at least 88 artists who participated in the 23rd Annual Capital Jazzfest and Capital Street Art Fair in Jefferson City. With clear skies and perfect temperatures in the mid-70s, a happy crowd filled High Street on Saturday.
It didn't take Francis - a student of fine art at Columbia College - long to construct a painting filled with references to Lewis Carroll's novel, "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland." In the picture, the Cheshire Cat peeked over Alice's left shoulder and the Mad Hatter occupied the foreground.
By 2 p.m. in the afternoon, Francis was further ahead than the other artists. His plan was to lay down the basic color blocks and add detail later on.
"I just work fast," he explained.
He chose the theme because the story is a personal favorite and he thought kids would enjoy it.
Other artists' works referenced the Jazzfest itself or incorporated musical themes into their paintings. Stacie Bosch, who won the art contest last year, said she "always likes to do something musical."
She'd been collecting ideas all year, but eventually decided to allow inspiration to be her guide. Her contribution to this year's contest was an image of the dancing legs of a woman in a pale blue dress.
Leah Ambrosius, an 18-year-old Jefferson City hobby-artist, was working on creating a lotus flower of creamy blush hues on a turquoise backdrop.
"I wanted something bright and realistic," said Ambrosius.
This year was her fourth experience; two years ago, she recreated a Picasso. She was planning working until the last moment possible.
"I'm a perfectionist," she said.
Other artists experimented with images of falling yellow and orange oak leaves, Samurai robots, the Eiffel Tower, dragons and monsters.
Artists of all ages and abilities participated in the festival, which showcased five jazz ensembles on Saturday.
The first group to take the stage was the University of Missouri Concert Jazz Band.
Later in the day, Liberty Jazz, Good 4 the Soul, Kansas City Trumpet Summit and the Bel Airs entertained the crowd.
Kerry Cordray, a local jazz saxophonist who came out on Saturday to both enjoy and help with the music festival, said the event features a wide range of musical styles including traditional jazz, soul/funk, big band and Dixieland.
He explained jazz gives musicians the opportunity to put their own original spin on the sound.
"The form of a tune will be recognizable and yet everybody gets to put their own stamp on it," he said. "The musicians might stick with the form in the beginning. And then they will break loose, but the theme comes together again in the end."
At mid-afternoon, the festival drew a small crowd of listeners who enjoyed the music. The event has a following nationwide; each year it's videotaped and uploaded online so public television stations can replay the show for audiences elsewhere.
Jazz is a genre that appeals to people who appreciate music, both cerebrally and physically, Cordray said.
"Jazz, at its base, is feel-good music. It's based in the blues," Cordray said. "You can appreciate it on a brain level or a body level."