Meet the Artist - Marie Ricciuti
"My paintings are symbolic and psychological in content. The woman in this painting, 'The Overseer,' represents myself. My cacoons represent myself in gestation and also represent love and safety. My husband, a double amputee, is inside a cacoon and I am standing nearby protectively overseeing him. The parrot on my arm is also a symbol of love and safety" - Marie Ricciuti
“The Overseer” by Philadelphia artist Marie Ricciuti, age 68, is the signature work for Celebrate Arts & Aging in 2011.
Marie Ricciuti was introduced to art as a teenager, when she attended the Fleisher Art Memorial. She resumed her studies there in her 30s, after her marriage and the birth of her three children. In her 40s, Ricciuti enrolled in a program at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, graduating with a certificate in painting. She also pursued art studies at the Barnes Foundation.
Ricciuti has sold many of her paintings and has exhibited at local galleries, but “I've never made a living through painting, "she says. “I’ve been a telemarketer for the Walnut Street Theatre. I’ve sold Avon cosmetics and audio equipment and even worked as a bartender — all part-time to help pay the bills and have time for my art.”
Find out more about Marie
Ricciuti
and her artwork from her website