Take a close look at any vegetation, as a part or as a whole, dead or alive. When Nature speaks its story, its words, phrases and volumes are utterly clear; often repeatedly manifested in slightly, almost barely detectable variations.
Nature fascinates me because of its self-evident mystery of reoccurring life/death (death/rebirth) and the abundant imagery it generously and endlessly provides. I am especially drawn to the pastoral reality: botany. As a child I used to take refuge in the weeds. I started to learn art as my second language. I come from a family of artists. All the Sicilians on my maternal side were painters.
I explore Nature, not just as a subject but as a process of creation. I observe its complex interconnected imagery, patterns and intricate repetitions and try to record them in my paintings and drawings. First, I begin with a conscious focus on Nature to derive an image from it. Once the image becomes a seed of an “icon”, I develop it according to the autonomous process it opens up for me. In my case, color and line are used to delineate rather than narrate or replicate. I try to create a particular energy or force akin to the mysteriousness of Nature itself while I work with “what I see” as a guiding vehicle in the process. Simply stated, for me, Nature has never failed to make the most genuine sense out of the meaning of our existence in this universe.