Today we’d like to introduce you to Lucia Mangione Giulio
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
From a very young age, I found joy in color and expression through visual art. Growing up, I was first introduced and trained in traditional charcoal, pastel, and oil painting at the Mitchell School of Fine Arts. In high school, I studied AP studio art as well as completed programs for college credit at the Maryland Institute of Art based both on the Baltimore campus as well as in Tuscany, Italy. I attended the College of Charleston where I majored in International Business and minored in Studio Art and Italian Language. It was through these courses that I began to uncover my painting style today, creating bright, large abstract pieces as well as smaller textured paintings.
I also worked in art galleries in Charleston, SC and in Florence, Italy during my time in college, as I have always had a tremendous passion for art. For ten years after college, I built a career in the retail grocery industry with a focus on retail operations, merchandising and supply chain, all the while, maintaining painting strictly as my personal hobby, though not nearly as frequently as I would have enjoyed. In 2023, I decided to switch gears completely after welcoming my first daughter into the world. I began painting every day and decided to pursue a career in painting professionally.
Today, I am looking forward to my upcoming solo art show at the Highlandtown Gallery in Baltimore, MD. The show, “Everyday Glimmers” opens on Friday, November 1st, 2024 in the “First Friday Art Walk” and will remain up through December 2024.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There is always an element of vulnerability when looking to sell artwork professionally, as beauty is in the eye of the beholder. A struggle I think many artists have encountered is understanding what resonates with one’s audience, while still being true to oneself. It can be challenging to receive feedback on something as personal as visual arts, though it is critical for improvement and success!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I enjoy drawing and painting in various media, though my passion and preference at the moment is colorful, textured acrylic painting. In my smaller pieces, I use a palette knife to apply paint directly onto the canvas. To me, this technique gives the painting character and energy, and it allows me to layer the paint as I see fit to bring depth and movement to the piece. I also create large-scale abstract pieces. These works share the characteristics of color, texture, and layering, but in addition to use of the palette knife, I apply paint through hand-carved stamps. I carve out either shapes or imagery into rubber, and then use the stamps to repeat a motif across the canvas, creating a pattern. My work is often brightly colored, and is meant to represent the joy one can derive from simple, everyday moments.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
To me, relationships, and most importantly, family, matter most in life. In my experience, life’s pinnacle moments of joy have come in the moments shared with those whom I love. I am a firm believer in the power of grateful living. There is great power in understanding that one’s perception of their life shapes their reality. Both my still life and abstract works represent the joy one can derive from simple, everyday moments. When I stop and appreciate, I see there is beauty all around me. I’ve drawn inspiration for each piece from truly simple moments of joy: noticing the expected yet stunning beauty in the annual changing colors of leaves, a moment of joy in my daughters’ faces as they play on the floor at my feet while I fix dinner. My hope is that my artwork emphasizes the joy in the small moments we are all able to experience if we simply stop to appreciate them.
Pricing:
- Please contact info.lucia.art.studio@gmail.com for pricing information on specific pieces.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.luciaartstudio.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lucia.art.studio/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563953915076
