dianna wood uses power washer to create art on her dirty driveway

north carolina resident dianna wood has come up with a new way to wash her dirty driveway by using the power washer to create a series of street art. similar to the processes of printmaking and scratchboard art, she creates illustrations by removing areas of dirt the pavement to reveal lighter tones.

images courtesy of dianna wood

not a trained artist herself, dianna is able to create detailed images of insects, animals, and other flora and fauna, with impressive lighting and shading. she began by inscribing words, and, finding the result compelling, moved onto bigger, more complicated subjects.

on her blog the wood’s secret garden, wood briefly explains the process: ‘I use a power washer to ‘clean’ the images. I use the power washer wand (freehand—no stencils) like a giant spray can. I raise and lower the tip of the wand to achieve different gradations. it uses water pressure to clean away the deep-down dirt on the cement, leaving an image where the cement is clean.’

wood’s original facebook post showing her driveway doodling was shared over 165,000 times. it’s symptomatic of the cult following power washing has garnered in recent times. one popular ‘power washing porn’ subreddit has an 836,000 stronghold community. meanwhile, power washing compilations on youtube prove popular in engagement for their oddly satisfying qualities.

project info

artist: diana wood