Hope begins in the dark Painting

I am an Italian artist born in Milan and currently living in Malta. I grew up in a sunny small village situated on Salento's Peninsula , in Southern Italy, at the so-called " heel of Italy's boot”. I rooted myself in Milan, where I spent almost twenty years of my life immersed in University studies, enjoying theatre & drama in my spare time, as well as occupying myself with plenty of drawings. Once graduated in Advertising Media and Communication at IULM University of Milan, I worked for almost 10 years as Talent Scout for a Film/Advertising Production company. With the birth of my first and then second child, in 2011, I decided to work independently. I carried on with my job as free lance, and in 2016, I moved with my family to the Southern Mediterranean island of Malta, a small 'rock' in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. My life was running smoothly, when tough times knocked forcefully on my door, throwing me out and forcing me to quit my job for a while, as my health was at stake. And it was in the worst period of my life that I discovered in the art of painting not only a mate but also renewed hope , a therapy to heal, a path to help me get through these difficult times and look into myself to find my inner being. So I decided to focus on art, because as I like to say “if you are so lucky to find the essential ingredient of your life you have to keep ti with you and never let it go ”. I can say that I have been lucky that way. Most of the characters I paint are fruit of my own mind, and I always try to bring out their soul and their own story through their eyes. They are part of my imaginary world, the only place with no limits, where I feel comfortable losing myself with no fear or dread. I paint mainly portraits in watercolour and I find this utterly magical. Its transparency, the rapid execution without any hesitancy, the consequent spontaneity, the lack of total control, and the fact that you must accept the mistakes as part of the process make it something unique, and it is in these features that I find great beauty. In some way I can say that this reflects myself and my way of being: spontaneous , immediate, with no filters.