Britten: C. Anthony Artist Exhibition

My training in Italy was classical, focusing on portraits, landscapes, and still lifes. I left Italy with a deep appreciation for a learned skill and a devotion to art as a way of life. The knowledge of how to mix and make paint, recognize a balanced composition, achieve perspective, and work with light and shadow is fundamental… It is what I call my toolbox. I take this toolbox into every painting, using its contents without conscious effort. It has become natural, something I do not think about. Learning all the rules has given me the freedom to discover how to break them… which is the essence of creativity. Studying the early renaissance artists became an obsession of mine while I was in Italy. The brilliant masters of the renaissance not only displayed incredible skill and creativity; they were dedicated to their trade. This dedication translates to devotion for me. I see dedication as commitment in my mind; devotion is commitment in my heart. This commitment fuels my desire to share creativity, express creativity, and live creatively. Art and devotion are one in the same to me.

I graduated with a degree in fine art from the University of Colorado, Boulder, with credits from Syracuse University in Florence, Italy, and I grew up In San Francisco, Ca. My childhood and studies are a subconscious influence, I am sure. However, my current inspiration comes in the moment. I do not have a preconceived idea of what I will paint. Each painting holds the potential for infinite possibilities. I allow it to flow though me. I do not try to control it. The only intention I have is to remain open and clear. My studio becomes a sacred space where anything can happen. When I finish a piece, I often wonder where it came from. I have learned so much about myself though my art. Each painting presents a lesson or a message. I like to think of each layer as a layer of consciousness… there is a lot there when I look deep enough.