Piano Pianino is one of several ways to say “little by little” in Italian. People say it when patience is required, or when something takes time - take it step by step; don’t worry about it; slowly slowly. 

It came to mind when I was brainstorming a name for this project. My wife is from a small town in Italy where her family only speaks Italian or a local dialect. I wanted to learn the basics with limited free time so each night over several years, I would draw a word or two. Slowly slowly, hundreds of drawings accumulated into a series of posters and original art reviewed by native speakers and offered for sale here and at a handful of stores around the Bay Area.

I hope these drawings help you or a little one learn some Italian, add some color to a room, or inspire you to build something in your own limited free time, Piano Pianino.