ArtMonaco - Mirko's Grace Jones

Mirko's latest paintings are portraits with Pop Art accents. This portrait of Grace Jones is one of a series called 'Immortals - 10 Smiles of my Life.'

Click on the link above to read about Mirko, how he paints and to see more of his work.

ArtMonaco - Patrick Lo Guidici

These old photographs of the legendary Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich were wonderful. Swiss artist Patrick Lo Giudice has taken the images and in what is called expressive art photography has used heat and wax on wood. I don't speak German so I can't fully understand the process but I loved them.

ArtMonaco - the One Dollar Bill

Artists and galleries came from all over the world to exhibit at ArtMonaco, including Galeria Salar from Bolivia. This extraordinary painting of a one dollar bill is made of coca leaves created by Bolivian artist Gastón Ugalde. The gallery owner told me that Coco Cola (a symbol of the USA) used to be made with coca leaves (not now of course!) He said he has to have a special permit to bring the artwork to Europe and that if it doesn't sell it will stay in Europe as, because of the coca leaves, it can't go back to Bolivia. You can see more detail in the last photo.

The striped head you see on the left, by Sonia Falcone, is a painting behind glass (hence the reflections) but it looks like a sculpture, doesn't it?

The wool head is part of an exhibit of three. I'm not sure who the artist is but possibly Sonia Falcone.

ArtMonaco - Chris Wake

Chris Wake's art made me laugh out loud. They are such quirky, wonderfully energetic paintings. Chris and her large oils travelled from her home city of Adelaide, Australia.

The painting in the main photo is called 'Diva on the Boat' and the second painting is 'Man with Dog.'

You can read about Chris Wake and her work by clicking on the link.

ArtMonaco - 'Is Being Good Being Liked?' - Daniele Buetti

Swiss artist, Daniele Buetti creates Lightboxes - the edge of one you see here.

The smaller Lightbox is called 'Is not all a matter of taste.' To see more of this artist's work please click on the link.

ArtMonaco - YOUN (Cho-Youn Kyoung)

It's fun when kids - and adults - interact with a sculpture.

The artist is Korean-born YOUN (Cho-Youn Kyoung) who now lives in Nice. She is represented by Galerie Ferraro in Nice.

ArtMonaco - Yin Kim

Yin Kim was born in Kashgar, Chinese Turkestan. He began his career painting Communist political slogans on walls in China during the Cultural Revolution without comprehending their significance. After completing art school in Xian, he travelled around the world exhibiting his work, eventually settling in Paris in 1994 to live and work.

He uses western techniques to paint the many facets of China and uses his own feelings and perspective to portray Chinese old-fashioned society. Yin Kim says, 'I am first an artist and second Chinese.' Click on the link for more information.

ArtMonaco - Isabella Nurigiani

Sculpture by Isabella Nurigiani.

ArtMonaco - Marcos Marin's Princess Grace

ArtMonaco is back - 4 days of fabulous, crazy, weird and absolutely wonderful art. Something for everyone - you could say...

So let's start on the forecourt of the Grimaldi Forum and this sculpture of the late Princess Grace of Monaco (Grace Kelly).

In the small photo you see the sculpture from the other side with the apartments of Avenue Princess Grace in the background.

The sculptor is Marcos Marin

Davis Cup Monte Carlo - Allez les Bleus! Go USA!

Yesterday I went to the Grimaldi Forum to photograph ArtMonaco - the series was due to begin here today. However, I'd forgotten that the Davis Cup tennis was on. Finding a parking place was next to impossible although in the end got a place down by the port.

Much much later it was almost impossible to get past the Monte Carlo Tennis and out of Monaco. The cars crawled along and so I snapped these American ladies through the glass (then wished I'd remembered to roll it down). And later at Saint Roman, snapped the French - against the early evening light.

I couldn't tell who won yesterday as both the Americans and the French seemed to be having a ball.

Allez les Bleus! Go USA!

Ironwork

Beautiful solid wrought iron gates grace the entrance to this part of the Casino building.

Old and New

Old photographs of the buildings around Casino Square decorate canvas panels that hide the latest renovations.

Window Shopping

Boulevard des Moulins. Sometimes you have to bend down really low to see what you want ...

Three Men and a Dog ...

We're in Beausoleil today, the French town that borders Monaco. You can always tell - just look for the sun symbol on the pavement.

One of the things I've always loved about life in the south is how the old men meet up and chat.

All that glitters ...

This isn't a scene I shot and turned into sepia. It's a decorative screen on sale in a gallery in the Winter Sporting. And the edges of the Casino are decorated with shiny stones of some sort. Probably not diamonds! But who knows? This is Monte Carlo, after all.

And if you can't afford the screen (and I don't know the price) perhaps you'd like a handbag showing the same scene.

Pink Ribbon Monaco - Time for Coffee...

And after the Pink Ribbon Walk, it's time for something to warm up the walkers. The plastic covered terrace helps too.

Pink Ribbon Monaco - Up and Away ...

Pink balloons soar up into the sky above Port Hercule. The Pink Ribbon Walk is over - a great success. All that remains is lunch...and a glass of bubbly.

Pink Ribbon Monaco - the Spirit of Sisterhood

Meet Natasha Frost (she's on the left) and is one half of the incredible energy behind Pink Ribbon Monaco. The lady on the right is Perrine Guyonnet, owner of Miss Rose by Perrine and creator of amazing floral arrangements - it was she who organised the fabulous flowers along with the band of helpers you see in the photo below. She also supplied what seemed like a trillion pink balloons.

Natasha and Julia Speri-Kaukonen founded Pink Ribbon Monaco in 2011.

Natasha lived in Los Angeles during her studies and was very much aware of the Pink Ribbon movement that has been such a big part of women's lives in all major anglophone cities for nearly 30 years. The spirit of sisterhood, women supporting other women through illness, treatment and the aftermath of the illness, as well as the celebration of the lives of the victims has always touched her.

Although the Monaco health department is very active in screening and development, she felt that what was lacking is this spirit of female unity that is found elsewhere, and after Julia told her about her mother's battle with cancer, she shared with her the dream of creating Pink Ribbon Monaco. As Natasha says, 'Without Julia, it wouldn't have become a reality.' Julia was not able to be there for the inaugural walk for family reasons, but her support was felt, and Natasha says that she is very aware and grateful that without her, none of this would have been possible. 'We complete each other as she is very practical and what we call a "dooer," while I am more of a dreamer!'

Here is a bio of these two great women:

Julia Sperl-Kaukonen: Born in Vienna, Austria in 1973, Julia becomes a Monaco resident in 2002 after pursuing a successful career in finances, in New York. Sadly, Julia's mother was diagnosed with cancer but is happy to say that her mother is a survivor, having got the “all clear” in 2010. Julia is a lawyer.

Natasha Frost: Born in London, Natasha moved to the Côte d’Azur aged five, over 30 years ago, where she pursued her education in French schools till moving to the United States to attend university. In California, she read history and literature. Throughout her studies and to the present day, she frequently volunteers in various community and charitable services, such as « California Soup Kitchen » (project in downtown Los Angeles to feed the homeless), a Women’s Centre on campus (crisis centre for women) and more recently «J’accède » in Monaco, a national movement to draw attention to the public on the difficulties of access to certain areas for people with limited mobility. Breast cancer is a sensitive issue as both her aunt and grandmother were victims. Her aunt is a survivor. Natasha is a translator-interpreter.

Pink Ribbon - the Walk

Following on from yesterday's post and the start of the 10 kilometre run, these 250+ ladies immediately followed in a blaze of pink for a leisurely 3 kilometre walk. Much more my style... They simply walked along the port, through the tunnel to Fontvieille, did a circuit around and then back to the port and all in aid on Monaco's first Pink Ribbon Walk for breast cancer awareness. And then many of them went off for a champagne lunch!

You can see what a dull old day it was and boy did they brighten things up.

Monaco 10 Kilometre Run - They're Off!

2,500 runners took part in the recent Monaco 10 kilometre run. And they came from 50 different countries. It's one second to the start and the really serious guys are ready to press the button on their watches.

And they are off...