Giovanni

Born in 1974, this artist has apprenticed under John Douglas for several years, adopting `Giovanni` as a studio name. Prior to his work with Douglas, he studied at university in Ohio, and received his Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts, concentrating in painting, drawing and graphic design. In addition to art, his many interests include studying, sketching, travelling, writing and hiking. The beauty of the world inspires Giovanni. He looks to the masters for inspiration, and especially admires Rembrandt Van Rijn, Leonardo da Vinci, Peter Paul Rubens, J M W Turner, Andrew Wyeth and Paul Cezanne. Giovanni's creative interests range from figurative and landscape to abstract representation demonstrated in the great work of these artists. Giovanni reflects on the Baroque period of art history for the richness and sense of vitality in the paintings. During this time, artists attempted to capture the most intense and emotional moment of an event in order to connect with the viewer on an intrinsically human level. Such intent resulted in works of art that were emotionally powerful and appealed to the human condition. The same level of intensity and vigour is evident in Giovanni's pieces and especially in his abstract works, which often include bright colours and swirling lines. Giovanni's approach is versatile. His paintings explore a variety of styles and subject matter in an introspective manner. He experiments with elements such as Rembrandt's fluidity of line and Turner's acute sense of light, combining them in an effort to distinguish both his abstract and more traditional works with a sentiment of urbanity. The ability to marry seemingly opposing elements is characteristic in many of his pieces. Giovanni has the propensity to extract influences from vastly different genres and uniquely transform them into his own expressive pieces. This integration reflects the complexity and beauty of the world that inspires Giovanni.