Marie De vita
Surrey, BC - Canada
Marie De vita - Fine Artist
Member Since: 09/12/2010
Santo De Vita was born in 1946 in Italy and immigrated to Canada when he was 9 years old.Even at this early age he displayed a remarkable aptitude for art , spending hours sketching and drawing.
Totally self-taught, he found his inspiration in nature and his love for animals attracted him at first to paint mostly wildlife. He held several one- man shows throughout the years and published 3 limited editions prints, all sold out.
In 1990, a gallery in France hosted a very successful exhibition of his work.This was a turning point in his life .From there came the need to start painting different subjects .His fascination for the Old Masters drew him to study their work.His style became more airy, his brush strokes more free.
He travelled extensively in France and Italy and the European landscapes became his favorite subjects, but he also enjoyed painting the wonderful scenery of British Columbia where he lived for over 50 years.
In the spring of 2009, he decided to experiment and do a series on British Columbia in a style totally different from his more conventional landscapes .He let his imagination go wild, used stylized lines and shapes in a explosion of colours. The result was outstanding and he created 20 paintings.He called that series THE SPIRIT TREES.
But his love for the Old Masters was stronger and he went back to his traditiional european landscapes.This short intermission ,though, gave him a boost and his next paintings came out more powerful than ever.He really felt he had reached a point where he was finally satisfied with his work.
Unfortunately, JANUARY 18TH 2010 ,his life was taken away suddenly.Santo will be remembered not only as a talented artist but also a very kind and loving person.
Santo's art has been shown internationally and his work can be found in several private collections throughoiut the world.He will continue to live forever through his wonderful paintings, this is the legacy he has left us and we will never forget him.
ARTIST STATEMENT
Painting is my passion and has been ever since I was a child. In my paintings, I try to create a mood that the viewer can identify whether it takes him to a familiar place or a place he has dreamed of .My aim is to capture light, colour and depth and if I manage to do that and create an emotional response from the viewer, then I have succeeded.To me, that is what art is about.
