Pastel Figure Drawing

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

I wrote about the Florence Academy Alumni Art Exhibit here in Florence, Italy, not too long ago. That night, I was not only looking at art. I was looking at people, especially the characters. I met Vida from Brazil that night. Perhaps you remember the photo of the two of us sitting in one of the vintage cars parked in the stables of Princess Corsini.

Since then Vida and I have been working together to create art for my exhibit here in April. Vida is a teacher of traditional capoeira, a type of dance (usually with another) that looks like a combination of dance, tai chi, and sometimes martial arts, or hunting. He says that the more modern version includes acrobatics as a crowd thriller.

I must be missing my days as a street painter in Florence, because after I saw some of Vida’s movements, I decided to try a figure drawing using color pastels. So, I bought some dark brown Roma paper and am enjoying this struggle with perspective (foreshortening) and color. Here is a sneak peek . . . and enjoy your weekend. And keep watching that glorious sky at night!