Oct 15, 2010

'Dear Oprah' At Bondi Beach by Eva Rinaldi

Bodyart By Eva Rinaldi: Photography Icon Images, Peter Carrette

A WAVERTON artist will ask US TV talk-show queen Oprah Winfrey to strip off and have her body painted for charity when visiting Australia in December.
Body painter and make-up artist Eva Rinaldi has started an international campaign to get the mega-star to agree to the challenge of being “tastefully” painted with Sydney icons such as the Harbour Bridge and Bondi Beach, wearing only a bikini.
The stunt would “not only be for a kick” but to also raise money for a worthy cause of Winfrey’s choice, Rinaldi said.
On the premiere episode of the farewell season for the hugely popular Oprah Winfrey talk-show last week, the host announced to a studio audience that she was bringing all 300 of them down-under for a visit.
Winfrey will film at least two episodes of her talk show during the highly-anticipated stay, including one at the Sydney Opera House when the iconic building will be transformed into the Sydney “Oprah” House.
When Rinaldi heard that Winfrey was planning a visit, she started planning for a campaign to body paint her idol.
“I’m a huge fan,” Rinaldi said.
“I have always wanted to body paint her.”
Rinaldi said the offer extended to the travelling US audience.
“I would leave it up to (Winfrey) to decide what she would like to have painted but it would be very tastefully done,” she said.
“I would like it to have an Australian theme.
“If the audience is happy to do it we might paint them as the Harbour Bridge, with Oprah in the centre. She is the queen and we will make her look pretty special.”
This Saturday, a Winfrey look-a-like will be body painted as a lifesaver with about 150 other people at Bondi Beach to promote the challenge.
The call-out for the look-a-like attracted 800 applications within 48 hours, Rinaldi said.
See the amazing photos of Rinaldi’s previous body paint work here
She hoped the campaign, the chance of raising money for a charity and her past work, including the Help Poverty campaign and World Vision Calendar, would convince Winfrey to do it.
By Boel Eriksson.

Eva Rinaldi Bodyart creation

Eva Rinaldi






Photography: Credit: Peter Carrette (Icon Images)