This past week my group of three artists drew “The Creation of Adam” from Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel here in Florence, Italy. I had to start the work alone this week because my colleagues had other obligations in the morning. When there is a group, we generally mark out a grid using pigment on a string. The grid is very obvious in all parts of our drawing space. When I grid for myself, I prefer to be more subtle as I feel the grid reduces a bit the effect of the magic of drawing. While I wanted to do this Michelangelo as large as permitted, I did not want one of the gold bars embedded in the street to fall onto the face of Adam or of God.
Once I determined the overall size and marked off my squares, I quickly sketched the overall shapes. This helps me get my overall bearings, but the real purpose is to help my viewers get an idea of where I am going with my street painting. In this case, I only drew the section inside of the gold bars, knowing that as the faces and figures got developed, the drawing would be extended to the right behind the figure of God.
Shortly after lunch one of my colleagues arrived. The other came later, but only drew that first day with us.
We have received coins other than euros for tips, and once a cigarette (which charmed me to no end if you can read my sarcasm into that), but my favorite tip that I cannot pay bills with is food. One day someone put a chocolate bar in our basket. Another recent time a couple from Canada, I think, bought us a big gelato. Sweeeettt.
Last week during our Caravaggio street painting, I met Giuseppina, a fiorentina (woman from Florence). She loves movie stars and we had a wonderful talk about a variety of topics. She bought each of us a large cup of fruit from a nearby stand. And then this week, I met Vittorio. He liked my drawing of Adam and bought me a torta con fragola (strawberry cake) and a fruit juice before I rode off to my Open Studio. And he came to my art reception at Pozzo Divino the other night.
I just hope that these generous folks are not buying us food because they think we are bums and if we receive money, we might just go blow it on alcohol! ;-)
In any case, here is our drawing after the first day. The next morning the street cleaners made their obligatory pass and we started again. I improved the face the second time around, but essentially the drawing looked the same.
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