On Sunday, we turn the spotlight on some great creatives. This week,
we have Carlo Savo!
Carlo was born in NEPA in the early 80s. He spent a great deal of his time as a child wandering through the woods and/or riding his bike through the streets of Carbondale and Mayfield. He has lived and worked in Lackawanna Valley his entire life and couldn’t think of calling anywhere else home.
He began creating art as soon as he could hold a crayon. He taught himself to draw by copying comic books and cartoons and moved on to life drawing and painting as a teenager. Throughout high school and his early 20s, he learned from anyone who was willing to teach him. He has since made a concerted effort to make art his full-time career.
Carlo primarily works in acrylic on aluminum panels and graphite and paper. All of his work is based on his lived experience in NEPA. From Carlo’s artist statement, he says: “By painting the specifics of my life in a broader context I can pull on the common threads of our collective cultural and human journey. My goal is to highlight these shared elements by intentionally triggering the emotions associated with them—an invitation to nostalgia, prompting a recollection of the people, places, and events that have shaped us.”
His creative process starts in his memories. Sometimes moments or objects in my present life will trigger images from my childhood or young adulthood. Sometimes it’s as simple as the way the sunset looks while driving through the mountains. In either case, an image will stick with him until he can get onto paper or panel. He does not rely on any external references, with the images being fully formed in his mind. He just needs to let it out.
Carlo draws inspiration from his memories of people, places, and events; both mundane and remarkable. He’s also inspired by the beauty and uniqueness of the Lackawanna Valley and its towns and boroughs.
To Carlo, being creative is an exploration of himself. It allows him to understand who he is, how he came to be that person, and what type of person he would like to become.
You can follow Carlo on his Facebook, Instagram, and on his website.
✍️Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carlo.savo.79
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carlo_w_savo/
🌐 Website: https://www.carlowsavo.com/art-works
