Stitched Portraits: Erminio Pinque

With most of these portraits I've been stitching personal heroes - all of whom I only dream to know or have said a casual hello. But Erminio is a close, personal friend and mentor. His performance group, Big Nazo, employs a cast of larger-than-human puppet characters. They show up at parties, parades, church bazaars, weddings, fireworks displays, concerts, festivals, banks, and even play in a band -  putting on shows all over the World.

As a person, Erminio is one of the greatest humanitarians that I know. I've seen him spend countless hours working with kids of all ages - giving them the skills they need to be self-expressive in positive ways. For his time, he never asks for more than he needs. And he runs his business virtually alone - able to be all functions. If you stop by the Nazo Lab (where everything is made - including creatures as big as 20 feet tall) you will be greeted warmly by him and even given a brief tour. And if you're really lucky, perhaps you'll see an impromptu performance that dissects the nature of man in puppet in World and World in puppet in man.

Erminio Pinque (with intensity):