Together, we will lead the way to the moon.

Tree-Totem 14, acrylic on canvas, 18x20". Maria Rizzo

I am very happy to have recently sold Tree-Totem 14. 

This piece was then given as a gift to a newly-wed couple, 

and it's not difficult to understand why.

"Together, we will lead the way to the moon."

I created this piece in 2012, but the imagery was in my head since I was 16 years old, 

in Monza, Italy. I remember sitting at my desk in my classroom, 

thinking about using a tree as a metaphor of ascension into enlightenment, 

contentment and happiness. 

 

I started thinking about how this ascension, this journey of life, 

would be much nicer to undertake in the company of our soul mate. 

That's when the idea of pairing two trees together 

into the shape of a ladder came to life.

 

With Tree-Totem 14, these 2 Sequoioidaes do just that; 

together with their branches, they create this ladder that reaches for the moon. 

Together and with the company of that beautiful moon and her soothing light, 

darkness and the unknown seem a little less scary.

I actually created this piece after finding my true love, Dan Wagner, 

and starting a wonderful life together, enriched by the love of 

two beautiful boys, Vincent and Franco.

Maria Rizzo and Dan Wagner

Dan, Franco and Vincent

With their love and with their constant support, 

I'm happy to undertake this journey I call life.

Each painting is my fearless voice on canvas.

The inspiration behind my recent series, "Trees: Totems of Life," has very deep roots. 

 When I was growing up, I had the most difficult time expressing my needs, thoughts, and feelings through words. This became a barrier that lead to a very frustrating and solitary childhood. During this time, my mother introduced me to drawing and painting, which turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me. Art saved me because the creative process allowed me to express my thoughts and feelings on paper when I couldn't find the words. Art gave me purpose, and it made me realize I wanted to become a professional fine artist for a living.

Mute by Maria Rizzo

Some of my favorite memories of my childhood are the ones where my mother used to take me for long walks at the park near our home in Carnate, Italy. As the second child of three, I cherished those few special times together with my mom. During those walks, she would tell me all about the trees in the park and together we would collect the very best leaves, take them home and save them between the pages of heavy, old books.

Villa Banfi, Carnate, Milan, Iatly.

Spending quality time with my mother, and hearing about her passion for trees, awakened in me a feeling of deep connection between my life and the lives of trees. 

As an artist, I explore, interpret and express this link on canvas through my current series "Trees: Totems of Life." In this series, painting these trees is painting my life. 

The tree is an emotional sell portrait: it's contorted trunk represents my twisted spine, my scoliosis, which is a severe condition that affects my daily life. The background represents my life's point of view: attitude makes all the difference in life, and focusing on the good things helps me live a better one. Observing nature around the trees - the ocean, the electric blue skies, the shape of clouds and being mesmerized by the sight of a beautiful full moon - gives me a sense of contentment, peace and inner joy. 

 The same feelings arise when I paint these elements on canvas.  

With each painting I allow myself to express my needs, thoughts, and feelings through the life of these trees as they exist in nature; each painting is my fearless voice on canvas.

                                                                                -Maria Rizzo

Art on Parade - An Exciting New Addition to the Parade of Homes

Maria Rizzo posing next to her commissioned mural.

Art on Parade is a unique opportunity for visitors to learn how art can enhance and personalize their homes. It is a partnership between business and arts created by the non-profit, American Rupite, to incorporate original artwork into this year’s featured Parade Homes.

More than anything, art brings a room to life.  It reflects the personality of the homeowners, their taste and their values. Art on Parade offers visitors of the Parade of Homes several opportunities to see and experience this.

See the works of local and international artists, artisans and photographers on display in the Parade homes and feel the subtle differences each piece adds to the ambiance of the room it resides.  Learn how you too can use them to integrate and personalize. 

Wall murals present the ultimate in personalization by incorporating things the owner loves into the very fabric of the home. Designer Ed Loren brings the artistry of Maria Rizzo and Kristina Starowitz to life within the walls of the Martin Parade homes.

Discover how stained glass adds color and life to any home. Follow the changing shades as daylight makes its path reflecting beauty through the stained glass windows created by Tony Johnson from Camillus Stained Glass.

Bold creations add spark to any room. See how hypertufa sculpture and palm creations by Kjirsten Hunter Neff defy categorization and add interest to any room.

Local artists will create masterpieces live at the Parade. You will be amazed at how they can take a blank canvas and make magic right before your eyes. Visit them at the entrance of the Parade.

Maria Rizzo painting live (Day no.1)

Maria Rizzo's table with her fine art prints.

AmericanRupite’s mission is to connect and empower people across borders, and to create opportunities for cross-cultural and business collaboration without boundaries.  “Art on Parade” is an example of how business and the creative community can collaborate to enhance our world.

 “At American Rupite we do believe that Discovering Across Borders creates opportunities Without Boundaries, and our new addition Art on Parade is a true example of it.”, says Brani Andreeva, founder of American Rupite, “Together, business and arts build capacity and effect the economic growth. Together they strengthen the leadership of our cultural treasures while broadening our horizons and enlightening our tastes.”

AmericanRupite is a non-profit organization that serves as a social innovation platform for cultural and economic exchange between people from different regions and countries. It facilitates connections to promote cross-cultural knowledge and understanding, and to stimulate economic development and business growth.

Experience Art on Parade – the creative partnership between builders and artists, and be sure to visit us at cnyartonparade.com.

Each of our artists presents their passion in a different way.

The Artists
(provide artists photos and include this text with them)

Maria Rizzo

"I want to share my appreciation for the environment, so I create paintings that celebrate trees, nature, and life."
"Nature not only gives me an amazing, positive energy, but it is something I feel responsible for protecting. I want to recreate this enthusiasm, as well as this reverence for nature, through my art, and share it with the world."










Kristina Starowitz

"I am Inspired by art, creativity & making life simple and beautiful."
"I love nature and BIG. When I draw, I try to just let my feelings flow into my work."
"In some ways my art frees me. It's hard to explain, but something inside me is released when I create my pieces."





Micheal Moody

"I challenge myself to produce not only good imagery, but to create a mood or atmosphere that stimulates the senses and demands more than just a casual glance."
"I reject anatomical perfection. If I wanted a photograph, then I would use my camera. I seek a colorful composition and good design."
"Photographs capture the moment, but my creations capture the imagination and the movement that only exists because I made it so!"




Wendy Harris

"Nature moves me. My goal is for my painting to move others so they see the world around them anew
I want to awaken to its commonplace elegance and fleeting beauty.
Painting for me is the process of rendering the precious moments of every day to make the human spirit respond to the seasons of life."



Visitors can experience how adding a wall mural will make their house breathe the passions in their life.

The Language of Trees

In "The Language of Trees," 

a group painting exhibition at The Red House Art Center, 

in Syracuse, NY

 

I have unveiled my 2 new paintings: 

Urban Tree

Urban Tree, Acrylic on canvas, 24x24", Maria Rizzo.

and 

Trees: a Reflection.  

Trees: A Reflection, Acrylic on canvas, 24x36", Maria Rizzo.

 The Urban Tree was inspired by a towering tree in the city of Syracuse, NY, while Trees: a Reflection was inspired by Green Lakes in the fall. They both are acrylic on canvas, custom framed and available for sale. If you are interested send me a message at  

mariarizzoart@gmail.com 

The Language of Trees runs until October 4th, 2013 

and includes the stunning work of two other talented fine artists: Marianne Dalton and William Smith. 

Go check us out!

Trees: Symbols of Powerful Experiences

For more information you can visit:

http://cnyarts.org/blog/show/trees-symbols-of-powerful-experiences

http://www.mariarizzoart.com/artistinresidence.html

The Language of Trees

Work in Progress

 Hello, everyone! 

Welcome into Maria Rizzo's art studio.

Below are two paintings I'm working on. 

The one on the left is called "Green Lakes" and the other one is called "City Tree".

After months of not painting, I finally had a day to create and focus on the new piece (City Tree).

What a feeling! I can't describe the happiness I've felt to be able to focus on a painting, again.

   The way I've approached this painting was very different from my usual method.

    The first stage was to block in all the values using only layers of black and white paint.

    This strategy helped me see the values of the objects more easily, because I didn't have to worry about their hues. Painting this way makes the process much easier!

    I'm thinking to go back to my Green Lakes piece and use this technique to finish those parts that I've been having some problems with.

    I've been working on this piece for a while now and it needs a lot of work on the grassy area in the foreground, as well as the leaves on the right.

    I am confident that, using black and white layers on those parts will help me finish this painting once for all!

These pieces will be included in a three-man show at the Red House Gallery in Syracuse, NY in   August 2013.

Trees: Totems of Life At Saint Peter's Church in the Living Room Gallery

Reception for Maria Rizzo’s traveling painting exhibit Trees: Totems of Life


At Saint Peter's Church in the Living Room Gallery

 619 Lexington Ave. at 54th Street, New York, NY, 10022


July 13th, 2013 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.


Tree-Totem 20 by Maria Rizzo

 New York, NY (June 20, 2013)—Syracuse-based Italian artist Maria Rizzo will be speaking about her art and artistic process at the reception for her traveling exhibition, Trees: Totems of  Life, on display from July 1st to August 15th in the Living Room Gallery at Saint Peter's Church, New York. Fine art prints of her paintings will be for sale at the opening; the event is free and open to the public and refreshments will be served.

 

Tree-Totem 15

Exhibitions at Saint Peter’s Church explore spirituality in its broadest sense, provoking discussion on the role of the arts in our culture, in our spiritual thought, and in our daily life. Maria Rizzo’s paintings reflect this theme by celebrating the reverence and enthusiasm she feels for trees and nature. This series, Trees, Totem of Life, was inspired by the memory of a solitary, solemn, “almost sacred” tree she saw growing in the ancient ruins in Sardinia, Italy. In Rizzo’s paintings, the tree becomes a spiritual being ready to emotionally connect with the viewer to elicit a visceral reaction. 



   Maria Rizzo’s paintings have been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions in galleries and museums throughout New York State and abroad, including the Red House Gallery in Syracuse, the Frederic Remington Museum in Ogdensburg, and the Museo d' Arte Contemporanea di Lissone in Italy. She is a NYFA MARK 12 alumni and the 2013 Artist-in-Residence and Curator at The Tech Garden in Syracuse, New York. Maria Rizzo was born in Bologna, Italy in 1987.

Music Among Trees

Reception for Maria Rizzo’s painting exhibit Trees: Totems of Life and live rock performance by Wagner 3000


At bc Restaurant, 247 West Fayette, Syracuse, New York, 13210


June 14th, 2013 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.


 

   Syracuse-based artist Maria Rizzo will be speaking about her art at the opening reception for her traveling exhibition Trees: Totems of Life (on display during the month of June, 2013, at bc Restaurant, Syracuse). Local and original band Wagner 3000 will perform alternative rock music at 8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

   Artist Maria Rizzo and band front man Dan Wagner have been married since 2009 and, with each others' support, they have independently shown and performed throughout the state of New York. This event is the first time they have combined their unique visual and musical arts together to create a highly entertaining event.

Tree-Totem 20 by Maria Rizzo

Dan Wagner

     Maria Rizzo is known for her paintings that celebrate trees, nature, and life. bc Restaurant will be the last Syracuse venue in which Rizzo's series, Trees: Totems of Life,  will be shown before hanging on the walls of the Living Room Gallery at Saint Peter's Church, in New York City. 

Dan Wagner's unforgettable alternative-rock performances, which include hysterical lineups, are reflected in his band's logo, which is a clown sitting on the toilet. Wagner creates shows that combine humorous lyrics and stage charisma. The band Wagner 3000, in each performance, proudly embraces a variety of moods and styles of music with entertaining commentary in between songs.

This event is a celebration of local and original arts and June 14th is a date that shouldn't be missed.

"[Rizzo’s] trees breathe life into the room…they are almost storytelling, are spiritual and always have wonderful moodiness."       

—Artist and Curator: Linda Bigness

"The most original and entertaining band that has crossed my desk in the last four or five years. What comes naturally to them has absolutely not been done before, and they produce an amazingly wide swath of unconventional but immediately infectious music."
—Terry Nails: Bassist- Tommy Tutone, Steve Jones, Ozzy Osbourne, VP/A&R Full Entertain Music Entertain Music

Good News

I would like to share with you a couple of news.

First of all, I was recently interviewed by NCC News' reporter Tom Magnarelli for a coverage story of the "Small Business Development Center at OCC," the video aired recently.

What's great about this story, is that even small art practices like mine can grow, if they seek help and guidance from non-profit organizations like the Small Business Development Center at OCC.

I would like to thank another non-profit organization as well: the New York Foundation of the Arts. 

Last June, I participated in their weekend-long NYFA Mark'12 Bootcamp, which is a rigorous blend of formal classes, individualized training, networking and group interaction. 
These classes were focused on the business side of running an art practice, and they gave me, and all the other participants, confidence and good business basics, which are essential ingredients to succeed as a professional artist. 

Additionally, I am the 2013 Artist and curator in residence at The Tech Garden in Syracuse, New York. 
It is with great honor that I take this role, which was given to me by the great 2012 Artist and Curator in residence Ty Marshal. 

Melinda Johnson wrote a beautiful article about this: http://www.syracuse.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2013/03/maria_rizzo_named_curator_arti.html

My desire is to bring different shows that will highlight the many local emerging talents, as well as showcase the work of established artists who are not afraid to mentor inspiring professional artists.

To find out more about these upcoming exhibitions, like my facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Art-Gallery-at-The-Tech-Garden/358040357647575

We Are Syracuse

Hello Everyone!

Photo Credits: Eddie Colelli

I want to share with you this video called "WE ARE SYRACUSE" by James Domroe.

It's about the Syracuse young, creative and entrepreneurial scene. 

This short video went viral the first day it was published, and it received a lot of coverage in the news.

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2013/01/we_are_syracuse_video_james_domroe.html

I was very honored to be part of it, and to represent the Syracuse art scene.

Here are the links to a some of the articles written about this video:

http://www.cnycentral.com/sports/story.aspx?id=853487#.UQl_XEriCuM

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2013/01/we_are_syracuse_video_james_domroe.html

http://syracusestateofmind.com/2013/01/27/we-are-syracuse/

My best,

Maria Rizzo

Welcome to Maria Rizzo Art Blog!

Hello everyone!! I finally have a real blog.

My Name is Maria Rizzo and I'm a Syracuse-based fine artist.

What do I do? I paint what I love, and I do adore trees and nature. 

My medium is acrylic on canvas, and here it's my short artist statement:

"Painting is my personal journey to find beauty and balance among texture, color and form.

It is also a political journey in which I use my art to create an awareness of endangered trees,

 the beauty and frailty of nature and, consequently, the necessity of recycling...

...In my paintings, the tree becomes an iconic figure, a "totem of life," 

ready to emotionally connect with the viewer. To create this expressive imagery, 

I use my own memories of nature as my main source of inspiration."

Tree-Totem 18

If you are interested in seing examples of my work, 

you can visit my web site www.mariarizzoart.com

Thank you and my best to all of you.

 Maria Rizzo