Partners and parents Max and Johnna Holmgren are taking chalk beyond the playground, creating stylish artwork for corporations, events and well-dressed walls everywhere.

By Amanda Lecky

He’s the artist, she’s the designer/marketer/social media manager/photographer. Together, husband-and-wife team Max and Johnna Holmgren are the hands and minds behind Bear Fox Chalk, a thriving chalk-art business in Minneapolis, Minnesota. From its beginnings creating artwork for the local wedding industry to more recent corporate commissions, Bear Fox Chalk has stayed true to its identity, balancing an edgy but outdoorsy aesthetic with (quite literally since the birth of their daughter, Luella) a mom-and-pop ethos. Max Holmgren tells STIR how Bear Fox Chalk is making its mark.

STIR: How did Bear Fox Chalk get its start?

MAX HOLMGREN: In 2011, I stumbled upon an opportunity to design a large-scale menu at a local store’s cafe. I had never worked with chalk as a medium before, but I absolutely fell in love. From there, Johnna and I jumped in full speed to turn it into a business. It’s now been a little over three years and it was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made.

STIR: What appeals to you about chalk?

MH: We love the nostalgic feel that chalk has to it. It’s a medium that has been around for so many years, yet we enjoy finding ways to make it feel current and fresh, depending on the design.

STIR: What kinds of projects do you do?

MH: We have been involved with a huge variety of projects ranging from restaurant menus to wedding backdrops to live installations in the streets of Minneapolis. But our passion is working with brands to help communicate a message to their audience or collaborating to help share their vision by using chalk. We’re moving away from small wedding pieces and menus, and going in the direction of large-scale murals and installations.

STIR: How would you describe your style?

MH: We are drawn to all things woodland, whimsical, and all sorts of animals. Chalk for us is deeper than a business and more a reflection of our hearts’ passion. We thrive on working together as husband and wife, out of our home or studio, and creating a life of adventure and exploration. We want to encourage everyone to do whatever it is in life that excites them and gets them out of bed in the morning.

STIR: What is your relationship to color like?

MH: Most of our pieces are strictly black and white, so when the project calls for color it always feels really special. The amazing thing about working mainly with chalk is that we can add dashes of any color and it looks great. Recently we’ve explored with gold markers combined with white chalk.

STIR: Where do you get your color inspiration for a project?

MH: We spend a lot of time exploring the outdoors in the woods and are drawn to earth colors, elements and textures. While most of our work is with classic black and white chalk, we are able to create flow and texture using different types of strokes and different types of chalk. But we love adding in colored chalk as well!

To create chalkboard walls or other chalk-friendly surfaces, explore Krylon Chalkboard Paint products. Or, go new school with Sherwin-Williams Sketch Pad™ Dry Erase Coating to create a whiteboard effect on any wall.

To learn more about creating faux finishes like chalkboard paint, read Jackie’s Notebook: Out With the Old Faux, In With the New! for her latest tips on decorative painting.