I am a Painter.. I started drawing at the age of 2,from the age of 6 I wanted to be a painter.From the age of nine I was telling everyone , " I'm going to be a painter." I studied the masters from the age of nine and I still do.
By the time I came to Australia from Italy and started school at St. Georges in Carlton I was 8 and I was drawing very well.I would spend hours in the church copying the beautiful paintings that were there.
As I couldn't speak english my gift of drawing came in very handy , Early on if I didnt have my homework , I would simply do a lovely sketch of the teacher on the day and tell them I'm still learning english.That worked for a while
As a teenager I grew up in Carlton in the late 60's and early 70's
I went to Princes Hill High where they failed me for art because I was too "rebellious" they said.Eventually they reversed their decision after my Father went to the headmaster with some pieces I had done at home.
On weekends and holidays I was surrounded by colourful characters in Lygon st. I would do sketches of people and places for coffee and cake.
I worked , I studied art and I drew everything and haunted The National Gallery and the Museum and other Galleries.I could't get enough Art,
I loved it.
Then I met the wonderful Ursulla Hoff,a respected figure in the art world and fantastic at drawing herself. She taught me many things and encouraged me to keep drawing . Various artists that dropped in to her house would also prove invaluable for the tips and advice they so kindly gave.
When I was nearly 19 , Ms Hoff said "you have to go to Europe to enhance your learning "and worked some arrangement with my parents to make it happen.
She said keep drawing your drawings are wonderful.You will learn to paint in europe go to Italy go to Paris, sink or swim but take time to study all the painters you see and you will learn things , you never stop learning in art
I went to Italy first spending time in Naples and Venice studying the Masters,then over to Paris and in particular Montmartre . I decided it was too hard to make a living at that time so I decided to return to Melbourne ,regroup , save up and go back to Montmartre later.Through all this I had been doing lots of work drawings mostly but an ever increasing amount of paintings that I was pleased with.
After 2-3 years working at various cafe's , Hustling at Billiards, selling some works and saving,I found myself back in Montmartre and I stayed there for 17 years and made a good living as a street painter painting abstract , I have my work in Hotels in Italy and France in private collections throughout Europe and USA.In Paris there are so many In various places. I loved my time in Paris.I left in 1998.
I returned to Melbourne following a number of personal tradgedies the loss of several family members and my Girlfriend all in a short time.I became very depressed ,I couldn't Draw or Paint for 5 years.
I picked up the knife again in 2003 and these are some of the paintings and drawings I have done since then.They express all the feelings I have been through in the last 12 years . I paint all types of abstract ,whatever I'm feeling
I found I could paint the sadness on to canvas then " Put it in another room "If I needed to think about a tragic loss again I could pull the painting out ,look at it then "put it back in the room" then forget about it.
One by one I stopped all those sad thoughts swirling around in my head continuously,day and night.As I stacked the paintings "in the other room "
Dark and Morbid at the start then slowly but surely more bright and colourful as time went by.My newer ones, just starting to appear here are very colourful and bright .
The paintings are all done by knife ,fingers and tricks; no brushes were used . I paint events in my life and events in the world in my own style.
I have just finished some landscapes,Inspired by where I live and paint in a shearing shed in rural victoria.
I was affected and saddend by the bushfires last year on black saturday so I did a series of that day and the following one.
I also have just finished some nude drawings which I will use for some paintings and when that is all done ,We will rest for a while and then I will pick up the brushes and see where that takes me.
I am no longer depressed in fact it is just like a hazy dream to me now,I love my life now and thanks to a few good friends I have come through , happier than ever and I am really looking forward to the future.
Most works are For Sale, some are not. Please contact if Interested.
Please sign the guest Book for me
I would love feedback on my work Thanks Felice
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