Clarita Scioscia

Artist Statement

ARTIST'S STATEMENT

Creation is not God, but creation is not mute and proclaims the hand of its' designer. From it, I am inspired to paint the eloquent color, texture, and forms of nature. With the universe at my disposal for subject matter, some culling must take place. So, I chase chickens in Key West to capture on film the moment the sun illuminates the feathers. I sift through images sent to me from an arsenal of photographer friends, looking for a composition or expression that arrests me. I hike, canoe, and observe faces and flowers as planes of stained light, distracted with the thought of what color I would use to capture them, always pushing the color, just a bit. This is where images become unique art, a rendering, something more than just a reproduction. I have always enjoyed being outside and marveling at God's immeasurable creativity and design. Formal art training teaches you to look at things more closely, really see the nuances of color, shape, and composition - and marvel all the more. To translate the expression of a living thing onto a flat surface takes my breath away. To swim in a sea of blues and greens as I make water appear on canvas is thrilling. Creation is the instrument on which God plays His tune. I listen, in awe, and interpret with paint.

Biography

BIOGRAPHY

Clarita Scioscia is an award-winning, internationally collected artist, with paintings hanging in homes throughout the United States, Europe, the Caribbean, and Africa. She was born in Lima, Peru to Dutch parents and moved to Tampa, Florida at the age of three. As a senior, she received the Studio Art Award and graduated with honors from Tampa Preparatory School. She graduated early from the University of Tampa in 1982 with a cum laude, Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, and minors in art history and education. Clarita's style is painterly realism. The term "painterly" is used to describe a painting done in a style that celebrates the medium that it was created in. It is a loose and expressive approach to the process of painting in which the brushstrokes are visible. In centuries past (and in various modern art movements, such as photorealism), painters worked hard to eliminate or conceal any evident brush marks or texture in a painting. Not so in Scioscia's work. She uses lots of color and texture, and particularly delights in capturing the expressions of animals. "I start with the eyes, and when I can see them looking back at me, when I catch a glimpse of their personality, the rest falls into place." She resides happily in Tampa with her husband John.

Exhibition History (CV)