Seductive Pastel Drawing in Florence, Italy

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

While I was in Texas this summer, I found the image I took many years ago of the original portrait painting “Madonna Blu” by Italian artist Carlo Dolci. It is so much better than the image off of the Web that I worked from last year. Yesterday I was called to see if I wanted to fill a vacancy in one of the spaces for the madonnari in Florence, Italy. I could not arrive until 3 p.m., so I decided to try again the “Blue Madonna”

What a great day I had! One of the most common questions I hear from visitors who watch me paint on the street is, “Isn’t it difficult to have to wash away your work each day?” Well, I thought it would be, but some days I realize how freeing this experience can be. In one way, the pressure is off. (But yes, your bad drawing days are SO public!) One is reminded that it is just chalk (pastels) and only a street. It is a day to experiment and learn.


Yesterday, I tried to put more color into the portrait. I first outlined the shapes of my light patterns and then the darks. I then began to layer various colors within those forms. It looks a bit wild here (see image on the left), but after . . . I love taking my hands and mushing the pastels carefully to blend. One time I noticed a couple standing behind me watching as I put the layers in. I got the feeling that they thought I was not doing such a good job and as I prepared to blend, I exclaimed, “Wait, do not leave, this is the exciting part!” They did not believe me (or perhaps they were afraid that I would expect a tip!).
They left and I went on with my joy.


Yesterday I realized that one problem I have in the studio is that paper and canvas do not even remotely resemble pavement. Sometime the texture of the street is awful, but when it is pure texture (vs. grease or large holes or lines), the result is glorious! I include the close-up images of the mouth area because I feel this pastel portrait drawing is very sculptural and I was pleased with my efforts. My hands have been rubbed raw though, so I hope the police do not want my fingerprints! No pain, no gain. Ha!


I took this next image after the sun went down and without a flash on my camera. But I love this “light emerging from darkness” concept that I have been working with for a while now. She is mysterious in her serenity, do you not agree?

While many people gave me compliments and took fotos, this was not a good earning day. It surprised me because last year when I drew this image as my first time as a madonnara, I earned three times as much! However, the day was not lost. I met many wonderful people. I loaned chalk to several children as they shyly added to my drawing. One boy, Niccolò, loved posing for his father (who gave his permission for me to post this image of Nico and me).

I also met some musicians from Florence and Tunisia, a young couple (both animators and teachers) from Singapore, two young men from Peru (one spent much time showing me his current photographs of shadows and graffiti art from the train station of Firenze Rifredi – beautiful images). In addition to that, I was again interviewed by a journalist writing about culture in Florence. Maybe I can be published again ;-) I am finding myself totally charmed by a specific northern Italian accent that I hear sometimes here in Florence.

And later, my friend opera singer Miriam Léah, featured on my blog last March, came to visit with her boyfriend James. After she gave her concert (for tips) at the Duomo, she came back to Via Calimala and sang for me. She is very sweet and her voice fits the narrow streets of Florence beautifully (and she said the intimate nature of the area of Via Calimala and Via Porta Rossa is better for her voice than the open space in front of the Duomo).

They hung out with me until I washed away my drawing around midnight. Here you can see the three of us, my copy of Carlo Dolci’s “Madonna Blu” and my friend Hafiza’s bike, which I am honored to have the use of while I live in Florence.

Opera Singer Miriam Léah’s MySpace Page (Hear her sing!)

See my first street painting of Carlo Dolci’s Blue Madonna

Cantante Couch Surfing and La Dolci Vita

Cari Amici,
Today in Florence, I met an 18-year-old Miriam Léah. I spent an enjoyable day with friends today. First, I met Hélène and Kieran at the Museo Nazionale del Bargello. From there we made our way to il Museo dell’Opificio delle Pietre Dure, since it is free museum week and all. I hope to write about those experiences tomorrow.

During this time, my friend Simone, a Florentine, called and invited me to see a free classical music (organ) concert. So, the four of us arranged to meet in front of the fake David (yes, Michelangelo’s David) in Piazza della Signoria at 20:30. Only, while I was out and about in centro, I visited my madonnari friends on Via Calimala. Abdu, who is part of the couch-surfing network, told me about his most amazing and current couch surfer: Miriam Léah.

Abdu invited me to come to see her sing in the Uffizi corridor nearby. I texted the others to meet there at 20:00 tonight instead of 20:30. Well, it was raining and everyone was late. But Miriam arrived with my friend James and I heard her ever so briefly before I saw her. I called out to them and introduced myself. They climbed up over the wall into the Loggia and Miriam’s clear and angelic operatic voice filled the entire space and then some! In fact, most of my friends heard her as they entered Piazza della Signoria – and that is a large square! [James used my camera to make a video of her performance tonight, but I am unsure of how to add that here . . . ]

Even the guard on duty told Abdu that normally he is not permitted to allow such activity, but how could he resist a voice such as this? It was fantastic! And the first song I requested was sung in Italian almost directly to me. She is really sweet and beautiful and gifted.



Above, group shot (L-R): Kieran, Hélène, Kelly, Miriam, Abdu, and Joseph. Photo by James.

After we parted, my smaller group of friends went to our concerto. While we stayed for most of it, frankly we were a bit bored with the organ music. After calling it a night (shortly after mezzanotte), I was walking home by way of Via della Condotta. And I heard a wee bit of that distinctive voice. So, I turned towards Piazza della Signoria and yup, Miriam was surrounded by men and singing off and on.

When she saw me, she immediately came up to wrap her arms around my big black coat and rest her head on my chest. So, we all got a few more images and then Abdu needed to get her out of this cold and drizzly weather. (These images were taken by Abdu.)

I do hope to see her again before she leaves Firenze. And I invited them all to see me tomorrow on Via Calimala doing the street painting if the rain would go away. My friend Inga usually draws on Thursday, but she is on holiday and out of town, so I asked to take over her permit for the day. And so, I bid you arrivederci e buona notte.

Miriam Léah’s MySpace page (to hear her singing)

couchsurfing.com: less expensive and more personal than hosteling