Robert Flinkman

Robert Flinkman
Ponte Vecchio, Florence, Italy
pastel on paper
17" X 22"
1977
copyright 1977 Robert Flinkman

April 2nd, 1977                   Saturday

Of course, with such good weather, I spent the day doing artwork. First I did some pastel work, and then some oil painting. While doing the skyline of Florence, another artist came (finally I see someone else doing what I love to do). First he drove up to the curb. He brought all his is equipment out. He looked like a true artist, striking out on his own - he had tosst, wild hair, a worn face and scruffy clothes. He came up occasionally to see what I was doing. Then once, he came  up saying, "Since you are an artist, perhaps you have a palette knife I could borrow?" I did lend him one of mine. As he took it, he asked me if I was German, I told him I was American. He then replied, "All artists are brothers," in Italian, of course. Quite a true statement. He did not work long, and took many breaks, walking about. His work was academic, what most would call - "realism." His draftsmanship was good, though the colors were dark, on that side of the color spectrum. For that style, he does well. One woman, with her little boy, came by and told me in Italian, that she remembered me from when I worked on the other side of the Arno. She was quite cheerful, nice. She could tell it was me from my sky, it's a rather characteristic hallmark of mine.