About Leonardo and the Man Behind the Beard

About Leonardo’s Persona

My Vision and Mission

Leonardo da Vinci comes alive, through a spirit of creativity, exploration, possibilities, and curiosity. Five centuries later, these ideals are just as important as ever. My mission is to educate, entertain, and inspire through engaging workshops, lectures, fun events, and more. Join me as we explore the intersection of art, science, and creativity, fostering a community that values exploration and education. And fun.

My Portrayal of Leonardo’s Character

To me, Leonardo is a complex personality, composed of many dualities. He can stare at one of his paintings for hours, lost in intense analysis, while sometimes flitting between tasks, leaving many unfinished. He was intensely studious, having taught himself most of what he knew, while also known for having a pleasant and playful character.

I strive to capture some of this persona in my portrayal of Leonardo – alternating between moments of intense study and rapid motions or distractions, moments of serious contemplation and joyful living. At the same time, when he is portrayed as being intensely focused or upset, it is always with a sense of playfulness that invites the guests to join in on the fun.

What My Leonardo Can Offer

Being a bit of a Renaissance man, myself, I enjoy bringing many different types of interactions to people. I can play several period instruments, including the lutekelele, recorder, sacbut, and guitar, as well as sing. Sometimes I might improvise an entire song or a quick verse customized to the guest. I may write a short, customized rhyming poem (backwards, of course) or draw a humorous super-quick sketch of someone. I occasionally perform a little magic trick when it’s not expected, turning a drawing of a coin into a real coin or moving the ink of my drawing across the card. I have a routine I call Stage Origami, where I invite a guest to follow my directions in making an origami flower. It has hilarious twists and turns. If someone is waiting in line, I can fold them a quick flower out of a napkin. I love to volunteer people to pose for me and help come up with their own fun and innovative poses for a painting worthy of insane nobility. Math and geometry puzzles? Dice game? Yep, I’ve got them, as well as a miniature model of my famous mobile bridge that people can try to assemble. The little ones love the Mona Lisa hand stamp.

I have a two wheeled cart, decorated with the paraphernalia of a polymath, where a painting of the Mona Lisa often hangs. Did I mention that she talks? I perform ventriloquism with Lisa as well as another one or two small puppets, like a bug in a magnifying glass. The cart is also fitted with working gears, so that when it is pulled, the gears spin. It demonstrates a variation of Leonardo’s real invention of an odometer, gear motion, and a rotating model of his aerial screw.

Leonardo can also sketch live caricature sketches, or standard sketches in his famous red chalk style