Arts Petition to Italian Government

Happy International Woman’s Day! We do not celebrate this in the States, but my Ukrainian friend and sculptor Vasily Fedorouk introduced this holiday to me years ago and it is known here in Italia as well.

Ma, if you have been reading some of my blog entries, you might remember that I occasionally work as a madonnari (street painter -- arts) here in Florence, Italy. Today there was an organized demonstration on Via Calimala where we draw each day.
Before January, the madonnari paid the government 300 euros per year for permission to draw in three spaces on this street. But in January 2008, the law for Street Art changed and we now must pay 695 euros every three months. That is quite a hike! Also, after 31 March, we do not know if we will be able to draw anymore in these spaces.

So, yes, that is me that you see wearing a chain around my leg with some of the other madonnari. My friend Inga took that image shortly after the press came. I am hoping to find my image along with my new friends in the Corriere Della Sera paper tomorrow. That would be pretty cool, si?

We were collecting signatures to be able to try to show the government that people support the art efforts of the madonnari – and anyone can sign. But, it is apparent to me that my speech needs to get better. One man made a bit of fun of me because I could not understand the language he spoke to my friend Laura, a native Florentine. But I understood about half. Speaking and understanding are two different things and my speech was far too awkward to describe to Italians what I wanted and why. Most were kind and grasped what I was trying to communicate. And, hey, I was better with the English-speaking viewers!

This last image is of my friends Inga and Abdu, who joined in the later drawing. Tomorrow they will continue in our demonstrazione in Piazza della Signoria. Wish us luck!!

Accidental Viewings Florence Italy

Cari Amici,
So, I have had a rather strange 24 hours, prefaced by the fact that I did not work my Monday as a madonnara. That will cost me. Although I was feeling too tired to create a pastel drawing on the street here in Florence, Italy, I could really use all the euros I can get!

OK, so if you do not care for a wee bit of naughtiness, do not read further . . .

Instead of street painting, I worked on my écorché and my charcoal portrait of my friend Inga. On my way home from the studio, I crossed the Ponte Grazie and walked up Via Dei Benci. Just before I reached Piazza Santa Croce, something caught my eye. I was not sure if it was a motion or perhaps the light from the street falling in a dramatic manner, but I glanced inside of a car that was parked alongside the sidewalk I was on. Simultaneously, I thought, “That stick shift is really off-center” (my shape exercises coming into play, no doubt ;) and “What a wonderful deep golden color.” (I am an artist after all.)

Then a movement of the vertical kind, and I completely understood what I was just walking past! OMG, who DOES that? In such a busy street, I mean . . . Yet, even as I walked by him, I started to doubt what I had just seen. So, in my typically curious fashion, I turned around to look. Sure enough, I saw through his windshield a man sitting in the driver’s seat of the car and rather enjoying . . . perhaps the fact that he was without a doubt “caught.” I laughed out loud as I kept on walking. How funny people are.

Then today I was again walking and ran across this lovely vision on Via dell’ Ulivo: A mother was helping her young son learn how to pee in the streets of Florence! Charming, eh? She was actually pulling his pants down for him and teaching him to spread his legs wide to avoid the splatter.

Perhaps because my friends were surprised that I had not whipped out my camera the night before (but seriously, was there not enough whipping going on without my contribution?), I pulled out my digital and caught the following images for your viewing pleasure.

Well, at least we know how people learn how to behave.
Till next time, do not let those allergies get you down.

Figure Drawing Charcoal

Cari Amici,
What possesses me to share these images escapes me. I am the queen of macchiata (blotchiness). What you see here is my work-in-progress of my figure drawing in charcoal of the Italian model Valentina. I wrote about her transfer to the Umbria paper on this blog on 24 Febbraio.

Here you see that I have not only established my three main tones, but now I have begun to work the darks to get the figure “to turn” (look 3-dimensional) and try for a movement of tone in my background. Hence the blotchies. Apparently, as I have heard many people here in Florence, Italy, say, I draw like a sculptor. I exaggerate. I have yet to find this truly objectionable, but it does mean that I have to do more work. If I would simply lay in the tones correctly, I could create more art.

Instead, I exaggerate and then must settle it down. I justify my behaviour by explaining that I do not have access to the model for nearly enough time and need to make these notes to myself of what I have observed and chosen to do about those observations. But then, we all justify our behaviour, si?

Shopping at d. bartolini in Florence, Italy

I am not much for shopping, but I do love images and the patterns within them. So, one night recently while walking around Florence, Italy, I passed this kitchen store named d. bartonlini on the corner of Via Buffalini and Via dei Servi, and not too far from the famous Duomo of Florence.


Enjoy!

Ciao, ciao.
Kelly

Florence Italy Immigration Problems

During slow season (now) in Florence, Italy, the city is especially lovely. And my favorite time to walk the city center is at night. This image depicts the famous Ponte Vecchio (old bridge). The shops full of gold jewelry and such are closed up and I love their wooden doors with decorative iron hinges. This man on the left is often playing guitar and singing – and in Italian for once – and working for tips. The music is beautiful and while few people are about, those that are here are listening attentively. The Duomo can be seen in the distant center.

There is also an interesting interplay between the police and the illegal immigrants, mostly from Africa. While I do not know much about this issue, I get the impression that everything is a bit of a dance.

Everyone here knows that the men who sell fake Gucci bags and such on the street are illegally doing so. (I heard someone say that even tourists who do not know this will be charged a hefty fine for buying from these merchants.) The immigrants usually display their wares on top of a sheet that they spread out on the street so that as the police cruise by, they may quickly pick up all four corners and scoop their bag of goods up in Santa Claus fashion.

In these last two images, I photographed a police car making its run as two illegals pick up their goods and wait. Sometimes they walk a little bit away, sometimes they simply wait with their bundles. I think sometimes that everyone knows the police will not arrest these men, but nonetheless, the police wish to remind them that at any moment, they have the perfect right and ability to do so. It is an interesting game of tolerance.

Last year, one of my Italian friends who creates caricatures beside the Duomo told me to be careful with my camera. I started to take my camera out of my coat pocket once when I saw the Carabinieri chasing one man, as his cheap wooden toys left a Hansel-and-Gretel trail behind him. My friend asked me to stop. This makes trouble. The authorities do not know who is a tourist and who is a journalist. The last thing this situation needs is one very slanted image of a situation published. But then, he also admitted that the Italian merchants are often frustrated because they pay for selling permits and then must compete with those who sell illegally.

I wonder if these problems are the same everywhere.

Street Painting Florence Italy

I was finally successful in receiving my permit to make drawing with pastels as a madonnara on Via Calimala here in Florence, Italy. My first two times street painting occurred last September, shortly after starting this blog. On Monday the 25th, I “painted” for the third time.

I madonnari have some pretty good pointers on how to work the crowd for the best tips. They put a lot of psychology in the choice of subject matter and even what time of day to have certain elements. Their choices are very human and make a lot of sense (and at the same time – ha!). However, this time, I chose to ignore all that. I do not want to give up any morning time with Italian model Valentina, so I arrived to start working around 13:45.

Then, I chose to depict the nude male torso, from the back view. Part of our permit regulations is that we do not introduce any original drawings. So, I decided to draw a work that is attributed to Jacques Louis David with a supposed subject of “Patroclus.” The Maestro John Angel told me today that this painting is too romantic to be done by David. He thinks it was done by an unknown contemporary, and my art history knowledge was not enough to be able to share more with you.

Anyway, I was relatively pleased with this effort and fortunate that the weather was not colder. But the night had mixed reviews. On the one hand, it was good practice and I was given many “Complimenti.” I was surprised at how many people told me they loved seeing the male nude figure.

I also met a lot of charming people. However, my body is sore now and most people did not tip at all! The other two artists left because they said that the money earned today was not worth the effort. I held out some hope until I just could not stand waiting for anyone, so . . . I worked from about 13:45 to 20:00.

Cartoon Transfer for Charcoal Drawing

By Wednesday night, my friend Janné and I were ready to transfer our cartoon drawings of the model Valentina to the better quality Umbria paper for our charcoal drawings. Pictured here you can see my tracing paper that is used to transfer my original drawing to the new paper.

This method of transfer does not harm the original. I used a blue felt pen to trace over my drawing. Then on the back side of the tracing paper, I rubbed some soft B charcoal over my lines (Nitram brand – French and not available in the States, that I know of). I then position the tracing paper over my Umbria paper, measuring my vertical placement lines from the paper’s edge so that my figure is oriented properly on the paper. And then I use a blunt pencil to trace over my blue felt lines and transfer charcoal lines onto the Umbria.


My next step is to lay-in the tones, starting with the background. I use a soft B charcoal (stubs usually) to scrub-in the ‘dirt on paper.’ Then I use a soft sponge to even out the charcoal and try for some consistent and desired tone. This is not precise because until I see the model in pose, I cannot determine any tonal relationships. Janné took the image you see of me wiping the extra charcoal dust into the street of Via Ghibellina here in Florence, Italy. Vine charcoal is quite dirty and the only other window in my apartment opens up over another woman’s courtyard. She often has laundry hanging up, so it seemed a bit rude to give her the dust. So, go ahead and chastise me for trashing Florence. Some art production is not particularly environmentally friendly.

This last image shows you my basic transfer from a cartoon drawing on inexpensive paper to a tonal disegno on Umbria paper. So far, I like Umbria much better than the Somerset that I used for the drawing of Francesco. As you can see, I have a lot of blending to do in the background, once I establish my desired tones in each area. And, of course, the figure needs much refinement. The face is too garish for my taste, but having gone through this process before, I know she will not end up looking like this for long. Also, I do not often see the model’s face (depending on her and my movements and the fall of her hair during each posing session). However, I want to create her beautiful face before adding wisps of hair over it. And finally, I am pleased with the sexy wave-like shadow her body causes on the model stand.

Thank you for reading!
Yours truly,
Kelly Borsheim

PS Buon Compleanno, Matteo!