Italian Street Painting Marin, June 2013

The week following the Danville Fine Arts Faire, we were thrilled to return to the streets in front of the San Rafael Mission in Marin County. This was a "reboot" of the Italian Street Painting Festival put on for years by Youth In Arts; the reboot was not associated with that arts foundation but was created through the hard work of a small group of dedicated volunteers, in particular Sue and Joe Carlomagno. The festival was a success, despite extreme heat and medical emergencies (none on our part).

Our sponsor for this painting was Luther Burbank Savings, so we thought we'd do something in honor of Luther Burbank and stay in a horticultural vein for a second week in a row. Our friends across the street posed for this painting as well, planting zinnias, cosmos and sunflowers in the hard-packed soil in the corner of their yard. We added a few Shasta daisies--one of Luther Burbank's introductions (and perhaps more photogenic than his russet potato), and a picket fence to complete the scene. This is the first painting that Cheryl got to be part of as a model--that's her under the straw hat on the right.

Close up view of painting of Ava's arm holding a shovel
We started with Ava and the shovel that was taller than she was.

Saturday morning painting status
The shovel is complete...Ava's face and hand, not so much.

Wayne and Cheryl at work on the painting
We got Wayne's cousin Bryan to take a few photos for us. Ava looks like a rock star from here.

Wayne paints Cheryl's back
After Ava was done down to the shovel, Wayne got to work on the portrait of Cheryl.

Ava looks down at Cheryl
Ava watches Cheryl paint her toes.

Saturday afternoon view from the top of the square
The view from the top, Saturday afternoon.

Long shadows across the painting on Saturday afternoon
The Time of the Long Shadows arrived late Saturday afternoon. That's our friend JD up at the top of the square storing his camera stuff in a safe spot while he tours around taking photos.

Cheryl paints Giana's arm
Sunday brings another portrait, this time Giana (that's her own bling in this painting).

Wayne paints Shasta daisies
Have you ever painted daisies on a big red rubber ball? How about on a 12 ft. square of blazing hot asphalt?

Wayne looks up from painting the picket fence
Our Tom Sawyer moment, as we whitewash the picket fence. (insider street painting tip: we masked the edges with painters tape!)

Wayne paints pickets--view from the top
Wayne and the picket fence--the air guitar view.

The completed painting
Finished!

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