1 ::: Why are you an artist Mario?

I don't know what exactly art is, therefore I don't know if I'm an artist. I am a painter, I paint and people say that I am an artist.

+2 ::: Could you tell us some more about your paintings?

My paintings are the materialization of my aesthetic sense and of my emotive tensions which are my creative energies.

+3 ::: Is the subject important to you, or do you simply paint to express yourself?

No, subject is not important. It is only a pretext to give vent to shapes and colors.

+4 ::: What artists have influenced you, and how?

I have learned something from all the artists of old times, especially the British artist Turner. He has been an important example of how it is possible to reach an abstract and exciting dimension beginning with a natural subject.

+5 ::: What do you do for fun (besides painting)?

I listen to music, read books, do sports, and organize dinners with friends.

+6 ::: What inspires you to paint and how do you keep motivated when things get tough in the studio?

Life in general is something very exciting and inspirations are endless. Even a difficult moment is something creative.

+7 ::: How have you handled the business side of being an artist?

As all other artists.

+8 ::: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Hopefully in good health and in my studio with a lot of canvas and colors.

+9 ::: Could you talk about your latest series of paintings and what you are trying to achieve with them?

I'm working on an expressive kind of image executed with free "gestuality" but not totally abstract. My intention is to transmit the same energies and feelings that I experience during the execution.

+10 ::: What advice would you give to an artist just starting out?

I can suggest continuing only if he is really convinced of what he is doing. This work doesn't admit uncertainty. Uncertainty is the enemy of creativity.