Street Painting in Florence, Italy

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

Buone Feste! as we say here in bella Italia. I have been sculpting, painting, and visiting friends during the past week. I stopped to say hello to some of my fellow madonnari (street painters) in Florence and include two of their holiday drawings on Via Calimala. Here are Giovanni and Tomo with their interpretation of a Christmas card and the Florentine skyline.


I liked how they added real ribbon and bows for the cornice (frame).

Then for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Tomo created a Christian depiction of the meaning of Natale. The weather has been cold and while I wondered if I would come out to help them, I realized that I wanted my few hours of sunlight for my own projects. I applaud their tenacity – it has really been cold out!

The only way that my fellow street painters have been able to work since 1 December has been under the rules of holding a manifestazione to protest the Comune di Firenze. The Comune (City Hall) decided not to renew the permits for madonnari anymore because they want to have a concorso (competition).

This competition does not allow us the flexibility in scheduling that we have previously enjoyed and limits greatly the amount of time per day that we can draw – six hours is not enough time to create a substantial drawing of a large size.

I do not know what will happen to the street painters of Florence. I am happy that I have tried this work, but for now, I wait. And I work on my own art.

Menu For Hope V

This benefit raffle with great prizes from Europe has been extended to 31 December!!!!

Here are the rules again – please help us fight world hunger, one community at a time.

Donation Instructions:

1. Choose a prize or prizes of your choice from our Menu for Hope at
http://www.msadventuresinitaly.com/blog/2008/12/15/menu-for-hope-europe-prizes/ or Chez Pim

2. Go to the donation site at www.firstgiving.com/menuforhope5 and make a donation.

3. Each $10 you donate will give you one raffle ticket toward a prize of your choice. Please specify which prize you'd like in the 'Personal Message' section in the donation form when confirming your donation. You must write-in how many tickets per prize, and please use the prize code.
For example, a donation of $50 can be 2 tickets for EU01 and 3 tickets for EU02. Please write 2xEU01, 3xEU02

4. If your company matches your charity donation, please check the box and fill in the information so we could claim the corporate match.

5. Please allow us to see your email address so that we could contact you in case you win. Your email address will not be shared with anyone.

6. Bids on prizes will be accepted from December 15-24th. The last day to bid on a prize is December 24th.

7. Check back on Chez Pim on January 12, when Pim will announce the result of the entire raffle. Sara Rosso will also announce the winners of European prizes here.