DUBLIN, Ohio -- Cecilia Martyna, 15, is a freshman at Dublin Jerome High school. She's also an artist known as CC The Sketchy Artist.
She said she got into chalk art about two years ago.
"My mom found something on Facebook and it was just a chalk competition at Tanger Outlets and I went and we picked up chalk on the way and I drew Carl from "Up" and I absolutely fell in love with it. It was so much fun," Martyna said.
During the pandemic, she's been using her work to put a smile on people's faces during tough times.
"It's so hard to get anything right now, especially when everyone's at home and we can't go into a grocery store without a big fuss... There's no seeing your friends, there's no birthday parties, anything like that is canceled, so this chalk has been nice 'cause it's social distancing and it's all outside," Martyna said.
After volunteering at Ronald McDonald House often, she recently reached out to them and is now partnering up with the house.
"We really didn't know just how talented she was until we saw what she was creating, and the Ronald that she did with the mask was just really special, and it warmed the hearts of all of us and the families that stay here at the house," Ryan Wilkins said.
Ryan Wilkins is the Senior Director of Communication and Facilities at the Ronald McDonald House. He said their partnership is her creating art for anyone and giving back to the house at the same time.
He said 50% of the proceeds of chalk art designs that she sells will go to the house.
"It means the world, first and foremost. We desperately need the support of our community to be able to stay open and to support the families that we do support here at the McDonald house, so any amount of support that we can get is a benefit," Wilkins said.
Martyna said this time in quarantine has been tough for her and others she knows; she said she can only imagine what some people may be going through. For example, the families who are staying at the Ronald McDonald House.
"You know, I am feeling isolated in this time but the people in that house — a lot of them are from far away and they're staying here because they have kids at Nationwide, they must be feeling really really isolated, so I thought it would be cool to just do a chalk in front of the house," Martyna said.
For the chalk art, she is selling to donate half of the money to the house. She said she will design anything for anyone.
"I will figure out a piece for birthdays, we're even thinking marriage proposals, businesses reopening or anything," Martyna said.
She said her art takes a little bit of time, but it's something she loves to do.
"The one at the Ronald McDonald House was smaller, so it only took about four hours, but I typically spend between five six hours. My longest was eight hours," Martyna said.
She starts by drawing out a grid, then sketching the entire piece, and from there, color everything in from a picture she is looking at.
Wilkins said having someone so young reach out to help many in the community is amazing to see.
"It really makes a special difference when there is a student in the community that wants to do something special to support other kids who are staying at the Ronald McDonald House, so what does Cecilia is doing just feels like a really special moment for us," Wilkins said.
He said acts of kindness like this also go a long way for those who may need some positivity.
"This extremely talented local artist is doing something that is not only helping folks in the community, but it's helping families here," Wilkins said.
Now, when it comes to her art work and all of the rain central Ohio is seeing, Martyna said she uses certain chalk pastels and will spray it with hairspray or set it with water.
Wilkins said the one at the Ronald McDonald House has been there for a few weeks now and is still there.