LaGrange Art League Artist
Phyllis DeSio
My artistic interest comes from my parents who were very creative in their respective fields. My father
was a fine cabinet maker, designer and hand-carver of decorative furniture and my mother, a talented
seamstress, surrounded herself with exquisite linens and lace, many of which she also designed and produced.
Our home was filled with beautiful china, crystal and European antiques.
Having been surrounded by these objects during my formative years, I developed an appreciation for their beauty. When I became interested in art, I came to realize that the best way to create art is to paint what you love. For me, that is the still life. Arranging our family treasures into my compositions achieved a classic simplicity of color and form which I stressed to bring to new heights with each new work of art.
My interest in art began at an early age - My first works were a series of the 1930s depression era incorporating figures and automobiles. Currently, my works range from large scale to small realistic still lifes which might incorporate lace, stripes and/or checks or other objects in various backgrounds. I am most influenced by the common, sometimes uncommon objects that come together to form a serious piece of work.
I participate in juried and invitational art exhibits, both locally and nationally, and have won many awards. My paintings are represented in private and corporate collections in the U.S. and abroad and I have been affiliated with the Art Rental & Sales Gallery of the Art Institute of Chicago and other galleries. I give demonstrations in all media, often conduct critique sessions and periodically conduct workshops in acrylic and colored pencil. Occasionally, I am called upon to jury art exhibitions and art fairs and act as Juror of Selection at various art shows.
Currently, I am teaching classes in acrylic, colored pencil, oil and pastel and have been doing so for over 15 years. I also produce works in these mediums as well as watercolor and graphite however, my main body of work is produced in acrylic.
My paintings are also published in the following art books:
THE BEST OF ACRYLIC PAINTING, Rockport Publishers, 1996
EXPLORING COLOR, Revised Edition, Northlight Books, 1998
THE BEST OF SKETCHING & DRAWING, Rockport Publishers, 1999
My passion for art compels me to create a sense of beauty in the ordinary that has potential for the extraordinary. It is my hope that one will find as much joy in viewing my intimate realistic still lifes as I have had in painting them.
If you would like to know more about me and my artwork, I can be contacted by email or by phone, 630-323-1168.
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LaGrange Art League |