Extreme Artist Jean Francois Detaille literally throws himself into his work, using not only brushes but also brooms and his body to create amazing paintings at warp speed. He's painted while hanging upside down on a burning rope and also painted the "Mona Lisa" while blindfolded.  His unique comedy routines are as quick as his paintbrush. His painting and comedic talents will be showcased on Saturday, June 20, at 8 p.m. at Henderson Pavilion, when members of the Las Vegas Philharmonic will inspire his efforts in "LV Philharmonic Goes to the Extreme.with Artist Jean Francois," a family friendly blending of the arts. The orchestra will have its work cut out for it keeping pace with the whirlwind artist. While the orchestra plays rousing American music, Jean Francois will dazzle with his amazing ability to paint a picture upside down.then reveal it as the Statue of Liberty when turned right side up. Paintings with international themes take the audience on=2 0a parallel worldwide musical journey. For the grand finale, Jean Francois and the orchestra will pair a giant mural of pop music legends with their music. Las Vegas is half a world away from Jean Francois' birthplace, Namur, Belgium. A chance meeting with flamboyant artist Salvador Dali in Spain convinced the fledgling artist that a sequestered studio life was not for him. Nevertheless, formal training was essential. So he enrolled in the Academy des Beaux Art in Belgium, best known for such painters as Jan van Eyck, Brueghel, Rubens, Magritte, James Ensor, Alechinsky and others, and then continued his studies at the Academy des Beaux Arts in Paris. The school, which inspired famous impressionists Monet, van Gogh, Millet, Gauguin, and Matisse, cubist Pablo Picasso, and surrealist Salvador Dali, also produced performance artist Yves Klein. The stage was set.

Jean Francois' unique vision of the art scene catapulted him into a career as a mile-a-minute artist filling large canvasses with vibrant colors in record time. His first gig in Vegas was in "Madhattan" at New York New York in 1997. That served as springboard for appearances as an "event painter" throughout the world, including Hong Kong, Milan, Paris, Tokyo, London, and Monaco. He has taken center stage at global events such as the Olympics, the World Soccer Tournament, political conventions, and world summit meetings, and20also performed for the King of Belgium, the Sultan of Brunei, Prince Charles, the Sheik of Kuwait, and the Grimaldis. He painted Nelson Mandela in South Africa for his 90th birthday, Pope John Paul II for his inaugural tour to Europe, and portrayed the grand opening of the 2008 Ryder Cup. He's also appeared on TV, including The Today Show and Larry King Live.