Art Model in Florence Italy

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

Artists depend on good models for great figurative art. Here in Florence, Italy, a lot of artists have worked with a great male model, Ernesto. He has worked for Florence Academy and also Angel Academy of Art, as well as posing privately for artists, including myself. Ernesto is wonderful to work with and is also a terrific person.

So, you can imagine how difficult it is for artists here in Florence to lose Ernesto. He and his girlfriend are leaving Italy. Ernesto’s last day of modeling was last Friday at the Angel Academy of Art. So, as much as his girlfriend told me that he hates surprise parties, that is just what he got.

Student artists and teachers alike signed a card and pitched in to help me buy some torte (cakes). The chocolate cake with the powdered sugar on the left was made by scratch by our friend Skye Campbell. The other two cakes (one fruit covered in typical Italian style and the other a chocolate torta with a wee bit of alcohol inside) came from Patrizio Cosi on Borgo degli Albizi, near Piazza Salvemini. This is one of my favorite pasticcerie. There are many wonderful pastry shops here in Florence, but I happened to be drawing another model, Sarah, that afternoon at a friend’s studio on Borgo Pinti, and logistics being what they were . . .

I still cannot tell if he was really surprised or if he had a heads-up, especially when he whipped out a bottle of limoncello to share. Limoncello is a famous lemon liquor made in southern Italy (although I have several Italian friends here in Florence who enjoy making their own as well). Allora, the drinks, fruit, and chocolate were pouring! It was a sweet gathering.

Anyway, since I rarely post photographs of people on this blog without their permission, I decided to share with you a charcoal drawing of Ernesto. This drawing was created by my friend Joseph Farris, during Ernesto’s last modeling session at Angel. He is not finished with it, but I was at Joe’s flat earlier today photographing other works of his and asked him if I could share this drawing with you.

Next time, I will show you some of the works I have been creating of Ernesto. I have been working furiously to try to finish these (or get them to a point in which I could finish them) before my friend leaves bella Italia.

Ringrazie tanti, Ernesto!

Pastries and Pals In Florence, Italy

Cari Amici,
When I was not painting today, I took some time out for visiting friends. Lisa’s husband John has been visiting Florence from Florida. John became one of my first readers of this blog, I think, shortly after I met Lisa last September. And so today, he got to be surrounded by chicks. We three met up with Skye and Anna at Piazza Salvemini en route to I Dolci di Patrizio Cosi – one of the best pastry shops in Florence. My favorites are Fruttini Misti, mixed little fruits in small pie crusts.

After leaving Patrizio Cosi, we walked down Borgo degli Albizi. I include an image here of one of my favorite courtyards in centro. I never tire of it. Now there are beautiful red flowers – perhaps hibiscus – in the pot.

While Skye and Anna were exploring shops around Piazza della Repubblica, Lisa, John, and I went up to the terrazza on the top floor of La Rinascente that I referenced recently. Lisa treated us to a couple of beers and we enjoyed the sun warming up the day. For sitting around doing virtually nothing, it was a pretty good way to go. A wonderfully warm older Italian woman took two shots of us that I include here. And as she and her party left, she wished us a “Buono soggiorno.” (Have a good stay.)

Soon after, Anna headed off for another walk before sundown and John and Lisa headed back to their place. Skye was still angling for some shopping, so I went with her. We stopped in at some big name department store not too far from the Duomo. Skye was enchanted with the clothes there, while I was less enchanted with the sales staff – one woman in particular.

Knowing that Skye would buy what she was trying on, I felt entitled enough to ask this saleswoman where the restroom was. She actually looked me up and down before saying, “Il bagno e rotto.” (The bathroom is broken.) Now, I am no fashion queen to be sure, but that was just rude!

Later, as I was foolin’ around with my Canon, she told me, “NO fotos!” Feeling a bit annoyed, bored, and rather unappealing, I sat down in an orange area near the fitting rooms where Skye was. And I used my snapshot camera to take this self-portrait. Orange is supposed to make one feel happy. Sometimes I think that only chocolate and good friends can do that.