Hi, I’m Michael McManus.

I’m the co-founder of M2 Photo and Stagger Films, and I make chalk art.

My process is simple: I draw, photograph the piece, erase it, and begin again. It’s a cycle that keeps me present, always creating, never holding on too tightly.

This whole thing started in January 2015. I was at the church where my daughters took piano lessons. While one had her lesson, I’d hang out in a nearby classroom with the other. One day, on a whim, I sketched something on the chalkboard and took a picture of her in front of it. We had so much fun that it became our weekly ritual, each lesson, a new drawing.

Eventually, I built a small chalkboard wall in our kitchen. That turned into a larger one in my workspace, and the work began to evolve. I no longer had just 45 minutes, I could spend as long as I wanted. Some pieces come together in a few hours. Others take 100+.

This chalk journey is deeply personal and always changing.

If you’d like to connect, feel free to reach out. And follow along on Instagram for the latest.

P.S. The portrait of me on this site? Taken by my daughter when she was 8. 🙂