2019 ARCHES RESIDENT ARTIST
Inspired daily by the beauty of the Four Corners area, Antonio has received recognition for his art and has been awarded this year’s (2019) Artist Residency for Arches & Canyonlands National Parks as well as Hovenweep & Natural Bridges National Monuments. While doing plein air, Antonio likes to tell visitors that he has “the greatest art studio in the world.” Healso believes that one should surround themselves with the things they love: “it is the beauty which can only be found here that has become my daily dose of medicine to ensure I maintain inspiration.” With such a variety of beauty found along the Colorado Plateau, Antonio has yet to NOT find inspiration somewhere.“If inspiration isn’t immediately in front of you here, simply look behind you, I dare say one can look in every direction and find something that sparks their imagination.”To visit Antonio Savarese in one of the National Parks and/or National Monuments this summer please visit his website antoniosavarese-art.com or visit the Arches National Park website to view his schedule. About the art: Every piece of art begins with a value sketch thumbnail study. The sketch is then redrawn onto the final canvas (Sandpaper) and an under painting is created using a wash of isopropyl alcohol mixed with pastel. Once this is complete and has had time to dry, the real painting can begin and a variety of hard to soft pastels are used, in combination, to create the artwork. Antonio Savarese is influenced by the artwork of Edgar Payne (most notably his paintings of Canyon deChelly in Northern Arizona) and the pastel artwork of Richard McKinley (President of the InternationalPastel Society). Antonio hopes to weave dashes of impressionism and splashes of vibrant colors within images that are cohesive and ordered. Every frame is hand-crafted from discarded barn wood reclaimed within Grand County.
