From my studio: Carlo Salomoni

I was born in Ferrara (Italy) in 1956 and I graduated in Medicine and Surgery. I worked professionally as a doctor for about ten years until 1991, when I decided to devote myself to painting, my real passion. Although my artistic training is self-taught, my vocation is tied to family matters, since my grandfather Lino and my uncle Tito were painters.

When and why did you start painting?

When I was little I drew a lot on paper and on wood, since my father was a carpenter and he used to tell me lots of fairy tales that developed my imagination enormously. The oldest paintings date from when I was 8 or 9, when I made copies of the French Impressionist painters. The year the change came was 1991, when I started painting professionally.

My wife's support has been crucial to the development of my artistic career, since she encouraged me to dedicate myself exclusively to painting. And she is still my muse thanks to the stories and poems she writes, which are my greatest source of inspiration.

How do you think a gallery and its artists should help each other?

It's a difficult subject to cover in a few words. Generally speaking, the artist who lives only from painting is the weaker party, since he has no way of investing large amounts of money to put on exhibitions, print catalogues and take part in art fairs. A gallery that believes in a painter's talent should have the spirit of a patron, and then its cut of the sales of the artworks will be justified.

The art world has changed a great deal in recent years. I have the impression that most galleries expect to make money immediately, often before the artworks are sold, for example by renting out the exhibition space. Years ago I cut off any relationship with "physical" galleries and I work as an independent painter who sells his artworks directly to the public over the Internet. For a painter, the growth of Internet platforms for exhibiting and selling art is a very positive thing.

What advice would you give to artists who are starting to show their artwork?

From a commercial point of view you have to be patient to see the fruits of your work. Artistic creation is an endless road on which you have to improve both technically and expressively. My advice is that they work and produce for themselves, satisfying their own emotions and feelings that way. Art begins in the heart and then it takes shape so it can pass on an original message.

How did you sell your first artwork? Is there one you feel a stronger connection with?

The first artwork I sold went to a relative of mine in 1991, and the first one outside my circle of friends and family was in 1993, in a shop that displayed furniture and gift items.

As you can imagine, it's almost impossible to prefer one artwork, since each one is part of a process and has marked a change in my growth as a painter. I can say I'm very attached to my "Moons", because they represent the world of dreams and the connection between our energies and those of the universe. One of the most emblematic paintings on this theme is Convivio de las lunas.

What is art for you? What part does it play in your life? Do you live from art?

Art is like a gift, because it gives me the chance to give shape to my thoughts, my emotions and my feelings, and it lets me keep talking to my "inner child". Thanks to art I've been able to stay in touch with the world of dreams and the imagination of my childhood. I'm lucky to be able to work professionally at my greatest passion, painting.

What are your sources of inspiration? Do you identify with any other artist?

To be honest, I feel inspired by everybody, without exception, but I can say that my roots are in Surrealism and in metaphysical painting (which began in Ferrara with De Chirico, Savinio and Carrà). I also love magical realism, Pop Surrealism, fantastic art and children's illustration in all its forms.

I try hard to identify with the Italian Gianfilippo Usellini and with the Spaniard Remedios Varo.

What is it about your creative process that makes it special?

For me, making a painting is a very beautiful moment, every stage lets me dive into my world of fantasy, as if I were really inside the image. I usually paint in my studio and I use artificial light that imitates daylight. I often paint at night, listening to music or with a television programme on in the background.

Have you had an exhibition recently, what can you tell us? Do you have any projects in mind?

In the summer of 2015 I had a solo exhibition in my city, Ferrara, in the Palazzo del '400, home to the Sala del desayuno y la alquimia, a space dedicated to art exhibitions.

I have plenty of projects, such as carrying on with children's illustration and designing fashion accessories, but the focus of my activity is still painting and reaching an international audience thanks to what art platforms on the Internet make possible.

Could you recommend us:

An artist: Gabriel Pacheco.

An artwork: Políptico de la misericordia, by Piero della Francesca.

A book: Vipera, by Maurizio Di Giovanni.

A film: The Polar Express.

Thank you very much, Carlo.

Grazie!

We invite you to visit Carlo Salomoni's gallery on Artelista.