Our August and September featured artist in the Yofreddo Center gallery is Don Silvestri, an oil painter from St. Petersburg. He had the impetus to turn his love of painting into a serious pursuit while studying under Frank Acuri, a renowned Bucks County, Pennsylvania artist who taught Don the dramatic “chiaroscuro” effect seen in old European paintings. Paintings such as these inspired his appreciation for art.

 

Don was born in Paterson, New Jersey and received a marketing degree from Stetson Hall University. After a tour in the Army and a memorable career in the retailing and financial industries, he retired to Florida in 1995 with his wife Cynthia. Now he pursues his desire to capture nature’s beauty with oil and canvas.

 

His still-life paintings begin with a live composition that is bathed in direct or natural light from a northern exposure. He does this to define the five types of light: direct light, midtone, shadow, accents, and reflective light on the main subject and supportive subjects.

 

Don has exhibited his paintings in many juried shows in Florida and received numerous awards. His work has also been featured at Pinellas Park City Hall, the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art, the Sterling Art Gallery, Martin Co. Arts Center, the Punta Gorda Visual Arts Center, Spectrum Corporate Offices, and numerous other venues in and around the Tampa Bay area. His studio is at the Artsxchange in the “art district” of St. Petersburg.