Featured Artist: Ann Saladino

Ann Saladino began producing artwork at a young age. As a child growing up in Springfield, Illinois, she took classes at the local art league.
Her grandfather was an artist in Pontiac, Illinois, and he had a profound influence on her although he passed away when she was only 7-years-old. Throughout her high school years, she had little formal training in art. However, she managed to take several art classes at the University of Illinois before graduating with a B.S. in Advertising.
As a young mother, Ann began taking classes at the La Grange Art League in La Grange, Illinois, and started experimenting with different media. When she discovered the vibrancy of pastels, she became hooked.
Her subject matter varies from landscapes, to still lifes, to people. Generally, she begins with a pastel wash on Wallis sandpaper. This gives her a toned paper on which to build color. She works with a variety of pastels, usually starting with the hard pastels and building up layers with softer pastels as she goes. Highlights that make the painting “pop” are added at the end with the softest pastels.
Ann generally works from photographs she has taken, but she also welcomes commissioned work.
For more information and to view more of Ann's work, please visit her website at www.annsaladino.com