One of my contemporary influences since my school days is Pino Daeni (born Giuseppe Dangelico).

Stanfield Fine Art Gallery in Park City, Utah is showing a collection of 12 Pino originals through the month of March.  Please visit the gallery.  You are in for a TREAT! 

I want to wish Mr. Pino Daeni a very speedy and complete recovery.  He was supposed to make an appearance at the opening, but was ill, so he couldn't make it.  I love his work and have followed his Romance book painting/illustration jackets and now his fine art.  I also show my students at the college many of the elements and principles of art through Pino's work.  This artist can give you in his  figure, landscape and still life work,...drawing, edges, value pattern, color, tight explanation, loose suggestion, thick/thin combos...it's all there.  Tremendous balance of high chroma palettes to his sensitive greys, chaotic/controlled brush/knife work, multiple figure composition, expression/tradition.