Rainworks: Seattle sidewalk art that magically appears when it rains

Peregrine Church, 22, uses a small hand broom to sweep dust and dirt off a section of sidewalk near the University of Washington.

Then he lays down several handmade stencils that spell out You have the power to make anyone smile. He uses a spray bottle to mist the message with super hydrophobic coating, waterproofing the letters he’s stenciling onto the sidewalk. Peregrine is the artist behind Rainworks.

“Rainworks are pieces of street art that only appear when it rains,” Church said.

So when it rains, the secret, invisible messages light up on sidewalks in neighborhoods all around Seattle.

“We’ve made, like, 30,” Church said. “Twenty of them are still around because they fade eventually. They last between four months and a year depending on the level of foot traffic and how well we applied it.”

His messages are all positive, inspirational, designed to make people smile while they wait for a bus.

“We’ve done things like Worry is a misuse of the imagination, Proud to be rainy is one of my favorites to put out there. Stay dry out there. Today’s weather: rain. It’s a little tongue and cheek but obvious and fun. It makes people chuckle.”

I asked Church if he was an artist before this project.

“This started off as something that I just wanted to do to make the world a happier place. It’s the sort of thing that makes me happy.

“Now it’s turned into a full-time job because I’m also getting commissioned pieces. We’re still going to do them for fun just because we love to do it. But now we’re getting commissions as well, so it can actually support us.”

For the record, the stuff Church sprays on the ground is non-toxic and biodegradable and his gorilla graffiti is legal.

“A woman who works for the Seattle Department of Transportation said they actually are legal because they don’t advertise anything and because they are temporary.

“That really surprised me. She also added that this is the sort of thing they like because it makes the city a more interesting, beautiful place.”

And beauty is what Rainworks is after.

“The goal of Rainworks is to turn rainy days into something to look forward to,” Church said. “For that reason, when we take commissions, we won’t do blatant advertising for people. We work with people to make things that are still just positive and aesthetically pleasing.

“I was a freelance graphic designer for a while, so I worry a lot about how designers are going to perceive it, in terms of layout or margins, font. I promise you guys, I will never use Comic Sans or Papyrus.”