Pastel Art Florence Italy

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

When I worked as a madonnara in Florence, Italy, there was always that start-up time while I prepared the street to accept my drawing for the day. I generally arrived with my backpack of pastels and other supplies and immediately set to work. And I would study my chosen composition for the day and examine the street space I would work in to determine where I wanted to position the face(s) in the drawing, trying to avoid holes or other textures that might be unappealing for my art. Then I would measure out the space and get started.

This is a necessary, but not particularly visually appealing part of my “performance.” However, I became fascinated watching other kinds of street performers do their preparation. Many of the more colorful artists do not want to wear their costumes from and to their homes when performing in centro. And so, they transform on-site in various ways.

You may remember that back in May 2009, I wrote about my friend “gReY, il mimo” I first noticed him outside of the Loggia dei Lanzi and Uffizi Galleria in 2006 while he was in transition from man to mime. And I could not get the image out of my head.

I guess I was always a sucker for a man in red shoes. And what color gReY wore that day against the stones of Florence!

Allora, I am thrilled to introduce you to my newest pastel painting:

“Il Mimo – Firenze, Italia”
16” x 12”
Pastel on PastelBord
$950 + $20 shipping (anywhere) + sales tax (6.75% in Texas only)

And a follow-up October 23, 2009:
Wow -- the judges awarded this pastel painting a position of finalist:
FineArtViews Painting Competition Winners (September 2009)
(http://contest.fineartstudioonline.com/winners/11)
cool, huh?

Teatro gReY Mime Florence Italy

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

Florence, Italy: At the end of the Uffizi Corridor where the famous Loggia dei Lanzi is, one can often find my friend gReY entertaining the crowds in the late afternoon. While the cliché might be that most people hate mimes, gReY really brings out the humanity of us all when he performs by interacting with the crowds large and small. People love gReY, Il Mimo.

I took these images on Italian Liberation Day (25 aprile). Before heading over to meet some visitors who wanted to see my solo exhibit at Sei Divino’s, I decided to make an evening of it by hanging out in centro for the free concert in Piazza delle Signoria. I was delighted to see gReY in action.



Often the romantic . . . such the very Italian Romeo!





One big crowd pleaser is when gReY kisses the bald heads and faces of passersby. I like to watch him put on his makeup. Relax, the white that he often leaves on the skin of his “co-performers” is actually Nivea skin crème -- entirely safe and might even protect your skin!

gReY, Il Mimo, is not only a performer in Italy. He travels on occasion. I think it was last year that he was in New York City for quite a while. (I have no concept of time.) “Teatro gReY” has been seen on National Italian TV and you can check him out online at http://it.youtube.com/grey2199.

In this shot, gReY the mime is protecting his pet pigeon on a leash.


gReY’s humor is interactive and he rarely does anything that should offend. Most people enjoy a lot when he follows people while they remain unaware, imitating and exaggerating their postures and anticipating their moves. It is amazing how often he can sneak up behind a distracted tourist and hold his or her hand without the person even considering that the hand does not belong to someone s/he is traveling with! His acting voice is very warm in this way.

And in these last three images, Il mimo actually stopped a young woman who thought she was only walking past and sat her down in the audience. He interacted with another person nearby and then went to the original gal and took her hand and the hand of the boy beside her (a stranger to her). He actually got them to act as though they were enamored of one another as gReY borrowed her camera to photograph the kiss he orchestrated. Then of course, gReY encouraged us all to give the two a round of applause.



When you come to Florence, Italy, please take some time out of your museum stops and gelato tasting and relax and laugh with gReY, Il Mimo.

His Web site states hours: Il mimo gReY torna con i suoi esilaranti spettacoli nella piazza degli Uffizi a Firenze. Potrete assistere agli spettacoli dal martedi al venerdi dalle 17 alle 18 e 30 ed il sabato e la domenica dalle 15 e 30 alle 18. Non Mancate!!!!! (Tuesday – Friday, 5 – 6:30 p.m. and Saturday & Sunday, 3:30 – 6 p.m. – Do not miss!!!!!)

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Happy Birthday, Rudy!