Diane Savino

Diane's Italian grandfather built small shrines in his garden as a means of protecting his crops. Birdhouses were perched on poles like holy scarecrows, and the statuary of saints and the Virgin Mary dwelled in their interiors. This childhood memory, along with her Italian heritage and love of the rural land, has influenced her artmaking. A visual storyteller, Diane paints narratives and small tableaux using the ancient medium of egg tempera, accented with gold leaf.

"I try to enshrine aspects of nature and human nature, elevating both to sacred levels. These intimate pieces are works to reflect upon, like the narrative paintings executed by the early Renaissance artists. However, my works tell new stories about the interconnection between nature, creatures, and humans through thoughts of contemporary contemplation." - Diane Savino, Hatfield MA