Her body of work is healthy - 1st April 2008
(Credit: Blacktown Sun)

Young Blacktown boy Lui Cantali is among 12 other children who were body-painted to help raise funds for World Vision.

His mum Maria Cantali watched when artist Eva Rinaldi painted a water melon on the body of Lui, 2, for the World Vision's 2009 calendar last week.

She said that she is proud her son had played a part in this worthy cause.

Ms Rinaldi and her team body painted a dozen children aged from two to 10 years.

Her spokeswoman said the themes were food, water, education, school, playtime and vegetation.

The calendar is for sale for $17 at all newsagencies across the country from October.

"All funds raised from the project will go to World Vision, the spokeswoman said. "The painting of the children will be shown on the Disney Channel early next month."

She said Ms Rinaldi wanted help raise awareness of children living in poverty.

"Eva said it was great fun to work with kids but that one needed to be very patient. I got the kids for her through local schools and by asking friends with young children to help."

Ms Rinaldi has been a body painting artist for five years and has won many awards.

She won People's Choice Award for the Chalk The Walk awards with her piece called Mother Earth in 2006.

"It was the birth of her son that first led her to face painting at children's birthday parties. Being a single mother she knows it's hard to raise children and she wants to use her talent to help poor children of the world."

A World Vision spokeswoman said that although they didn't commission the calendar it would welcome any assistance from the community in raising funds for them.

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