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September 25, 2008 Posted
in Website/Product Reviews By Jake Pitts Savarino Art Studio is an online art gallery that features paintings by popular, trendy Chicago artist Gino Savarino. All of the paintings are hand painted, one-of-a-kind, and LARGE some more than 6 feet across. Yeah, that big! Gino was born in Argentina. His parents immigrated to Buenos Aires from Italy for a better life and, after Gino was born, from Argentina to Chicago in 1978 for an even better life. Soon after arriving in the U.S., he needed some way to deal with the culture shock, and for him, the best way was through painting, drawing, and listening to music. After graduating high school, Gino enrolled in formal art classes for two years, but soon decided hed rather do things his own way. Gino believes there shouldnt be rules and guidelines in art, which is why he loves painting abstract pieces so much. If you truly feel what youve created comes from the heart, its already a masterpiece. There is nothing more rewarding than to experiment with colors, shapes and styles, taking a step back when youre finished and having a sense of artistic accomplishment. The first thing that jumped out at me about the paintings on savarinoart.com was the use of bright colors in each and every painting. Im a minimalist when it comes to decorating my place a lot of black and white, stainless steel, and bamboo. But to me, nothing finishes a room off, especially one that has these same minimalist characteristics, like a big, bright, colorful painting. Too many artists these days paint in a dark, depressing, minimalist way, but I prefer my art to stand out and command a room, just like I used to have to do as the youngest guy in the boardroom. (Maybe this explains my love for these guys paintings a little.) Another thing that I love about the paintings at Savarinoart.com is that while they are abstract, and some of Ginos are VERY abstract, you can still tell in every single painting that theres more there than just some paint thrown up on a canvas. Theres no other way for me to describe the paintings than having soul. The use of many colors, the different shapes and textures, the way you can just sit and stare at them for what seems like hours just taking in the soul of the paintings. Very, very cool, unlike any group of paintings I've every seen. Finally, while still a good chunk of change, the paintings really arent expensive
at all when compared with other paintings of comparable style and size. In my opinion too, a painting is worth spending a
few hundred dollars on (or more, depending on your income), as it is the focal point of a room. On top of that, how many other
things that just sitting around your house can really evoke the emotion that your perfect painting can?! Whether for your
living room, bedroom, office, or bar, paintings from I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but it really doesnt get any better than at Savarino Art. If you dont want to take my word for it, then take Donald Trumps: Gino was commissioned to paint for the Donald, and the 5 foot x 6 foot painting now hangs in the lobby of the new Trump Place here in New York! Ready to have your own original painting from Savarinoart.com?!
October 10, 2007 As more people move in to larger homes, over-sized paintings are needed to
fill the walls and double staircases. A painting measuring 36" x 48" or larger is considered over-sized and investing
in an original piece this big can be overwhelming. Going into a galley is many times intimidating
when dealing with snooty sales people. Thank God for the world wide web. With sites like verybigart.com it's a breeze,
offering large original works by well known Chicago artists, Gino Savarino and Thomas Fedro. All paintings come with a certificate
of authenticity valued more then 4 times the actual price. These discounted prices are only found on this site. Their works
sell for as much as $3000 in galleries in Chicago as well as New York. Modern abstract art
has become one of the favorites styles in recent years. Investors seem to go for the "indescribable" and allow the
artist to interpret it in his own form with a brush and vibrant colors. Even objects that are recognizable like faces,
bottles, or flowers seem to be more interesting in an abstract style. Many artists are not
comfortable painting in such a large format, but Savarino and Fedro love to take on the challenge. "The larger the better"
Savarino said. "Art should be displayed as big as possible" adds Fedro. The two artist owned three galleries combined,
but "nothing beats selling online" states savarino. "We cater to the world. We have collectors in Greece, South
Africa, England, Australia, Italy, Canada, and many other countries" says Fedro. Savarino's and Fedro's resume include: The Broadway show "Rent", the 40th anniversary of "The Second City" and Chicago's "Cow's on Parade". Corporate commissions include pieces for IBM, Hotel Allegro in Chicago, historic Navy Pier, Decor magazine, Toogood winery, Sweet Riot Candy, Trump Place, Extreme Home Makeover and Washburn Guitars.
November 10, 2006
Gino Savarino's Art to appear on ABC's Extreme Makeover Home Edition! - Savarino donates two custom paintings to the Nayola Family. Watch Extreme Makeover on ABC for Gino's Art! Gino's art will be shown in an upcoming episode! Extreme Makeover is on Sundays 7/8C.
July 27, 2006
  Camp results in mural, friendships at Maine EastBY PAULINE FORTE | STAFF WRITER A group of eight students, participating in a summer camp at Maine East High School, have painted a 60-feet-long mural under the guidance of Argentina-born artist Gino Savarino.It took three days for the group to complete the two-part mural, located in one of the school's lower level hallways between the family center and the health center. The camp was organized by the English as a Second Language (ESL) program, which developed a series of activities for the summer, including swimming, soccer, volleyball, and mural painting. "The idea is to give students some activities outside of academics that will make them more comfortable in the school setting," ESL teacher Sharon Baima said. The students, ages 15 to 19, picked the colors they wanted to mix and were each given an area on the wall to paint. Savarino, who has been painting abstracts for 19 years, chose cubism abstract for the mural project to "allow each and every one of the students to have their own section, and within that section they could be as creative as they wanted to be." Last year's camp was geared solely for Latino students. This summer it has been open to all cultures from ESL classes as well as recent graduates. Asian, Ukrainian, and Latino students participated in the mural painting. "We invited all ESL kids because we felt they tend to be less connected to the school," Health Counselor Kathy Malyszko said. Many of the ESL students recently moved to the United States and still are overcoming a language barrier. "We wanted to get them engaged, said Malyszko, who helped coordinate the camp. The first day, the young artists were pretty apprehensive, according to Savarino. But on the second day, they were laughing together and felt free to express themselves. "They were extremely creative by applying texture, mixing colors, and using the wall as their palette," he said. He said there is a little variation between the two walls. One was painted first and looks more "serious" than the other one, which he said shows more freedom. Franklin Ortega, 19, who moved to the United States from Ecuador in 2004, said, "The experience was awesome. When I painted, I felt something special." "I was so impressed with how these different kids from different cultures, different ages, and different background bonded," Malyszko said. The two-wall mural brings color and life to the long and rather bland hallway. Each mural is about 30 feet long by 9 feet tall. It is made of hundreds of shapes, outlined in black lines, and painted in lots of primary colors. "We gave it definition by mixing two or three colors within the areas," Savarino said. Students painted several sections on each wall. At the end, they signed their name and Savarino sealed the mural with a varnish to protect it. Each signature represents the individuality of each culture coming together, Malyszko said. Savarino decided to get involved in the mural project because it is a good way to give back to the community. "I know how it is to want to fit in," he said. Savarino left Argentina when he was 8 because of the country's bad economy. "One of my ways to deal with the sadness of living my country was to take art classes in high school," he said. He graduated from Maine South. He later started doing abstracts, after realizing he didn't have the patience to work in graphic art design. Three years ago, he shifted his hobby for painting into a career opportunity. He listed some of his art on e-Bay and it sold very well. Based in the Chicago area, he sells most of his work online but also has paintings exposed in galleries in New York, Atlanta, and Canada, and has sold to collectors in Puerto Rico, Australia, South Africa, Greece, and the Netherlands. The students finished painting the wall July 12 but haven't named the artwork yet. Malyszko and the students want the title to emphasize unity. Ortega, who painted on a wall in the school's cafeteria last summer, suggested "Friends" as a name for the new abstract mural.
January
10, 2006
 A creative seller’s market Local artist finds lucrative business through eBay
How does a talented but unknown abstract painter make a name for himself in today’s competitive art world? Through eBay, the online bazaar where people bid on everything from nail clippers to luxury cars. Gino Savarino paints out of a studio in his Elk Grove Village home, takes photos of his colorful paintings and uploads them on eBay, where his average selling price is $225 per painting. In the last year and a half, he has sold more than 400 paintings, and in November alone he made $25,000 in sales. Custom-made works range from $400 to $1,000. When Savarino first tried his luck on eBay in April 2004, more on a whim than with real conviction, bidding started at $5 and ended at $125. “I’ll never forget that. I was in shock,” Savarino said. “I never thought that my hobby was going to turn into a career, but this is the land of opportunity, and I am taking every single opportunity there is.” Savarino, 36, was born in Argentina to Italian immigrant parents. When he was 8 years old, the family moved to the United States, settling in Chicago’s Brickyard neighborhood. To this day, he and his younger sister speak Spanish to their parents, who answer in Italian. “It’s the same sob story that you hear from everyone else,” Savarino said. “My parents worked for minimum wage and had to leave us alone at home while they worked, though they called us five times a day to make sure we were OK.” Savarino discovered abstract painting while studying graphic arts at Triton Community College in River Grove. “I got an A+ in the class, but how much money can you make as an abstract artist? I just messed around with it as a hobby,” he said. During the next few years he tried his luck as a factory worker, pizza maker, clothing store clerk and landscaper. He eventually started a wedding DJ business, which he ran for about 11 years. “I would always come home late and not be with the kids,” said Savarino, who is married and has an 11-year-old daughter and an 8-year-old son. “I got burnt out.” These days, life consists of painting to his heart’s content, said Savarino, whose models are Miro, Dali, Picasso and Jackson Pollock. “I’m not trying to recreate the recognizable,” he said. “What I like to think is that I am expressing everything on canvas through color, through shape, through composition.” His work will be showcased by an art gallery expected to open in late January in Westchester, N.Y. Joseph Thomas Galleries co-owner Abe Abdallah said he purchased a few of Savarino’s paintings for himself before deciding to display his work. “He has a very unique style,” Abdallah said. “A lot of artists don’t have much variation, but his colors go from cold to warm. He has a great color scheme.” Savarino also works on commission for Chagall Inc., a small construction and interior design company in Alberta, Canada. “We build condos and custom homes, and the majority of our clients are young professionals,” said Chagall Inc. owner Shirley Louie. “Lots of young professionals really like the big, art deco-type abstract paintings.” No matter what peaks of fame he may reach, Savarino said he will always remain loyal to his Internet-based customers. “You used to see a lot of starving artists, but thanks to the Internet you see a lot of
stuffed artists,” he said. “It’s a great way to reach out and be seen by the entire world.”
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January 6, 2006 |
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