A paddling is a group of ducks. Meet a group of artists behind some of the creations for Stamford Downtown's Street Art Sculptures - Duck, Duck, Goose!
David Macharelli
What kind of artist are you?
I am one part painter (usually in the "realistic" style), one part graphic designer, one part videographer and editor, with a bit of performer and writer thrown in.
What have Stamford Downtown sculpture projects meant to you over the years?
I usually mark the first one I did (Reigning Cats & Dogs) as a turning point for me, not just artistically, but as a person. I was shy and uncomfortable and didn't often show my work to anyone for fear of ridicule, let alone to such a wide audience. The very notion of working in a public studio where passersby could comment on what I was doing was terrifying. But... when I started working, not only did I connect with the other artists and learn from their ideas and processes, I experienced people who were actually interested in what I was doing and complimentary of how I was doing it. That changed who I had become into who I am now. This is my eighth such show and I look forward to them every time.
What advice would you give your younger self about being an artist?
Trust your instincts. They're usually pretty good for this kind of thing. Oh, and experiment. You don't have to fit into any particular box and that's OK
Tina Fino
How would describe your art?
I am a sign painter and my artwork is usually type driven, bold and bright. It is a lost art, actually a trade, but recently has had a resurgence. I hand paint and gold leaf signs, windows, exterior signs, murals, mirrors, trucks, I'll paint on anything really, I've even painted a few toilet seats.
What brings you the greatest joy from your artwork?
Having it serve a purpose that other people can be proud of. Creating custom designs for my clients for their storefronts especially excites me. I love the process of taking a client's vision and making it come to fruition.
What was the inspiration for your Street Art Duck?
"Duckmingo" the rubber duck flamingo, is simply that, to me, the flamingo is an iconic summer image. Some people even decorate their lawns with plastic pink flamingos, so I thought having a large duck version on display would be fun.
Flavia Moraes Lodato
What’s a favorite piece and why?
My favorite painting is Camille from my Aspects series. It is a series of paintings that I created to express women's emotions, struggles and abuse. I am from Brazil and unfortunately, my country has one of the highest femicide rates in the world. The underlining causes are discrimination, inequality and a male-possessive culture. Camille has tears in her eyes to represent all the suffering women have had to go through in life. Describing her like this is not a happy piece but when you contemplate her face and you do not know what was the inspiration, you might have a different feeling about this piece.
What advice would you give your younger self about being an artist?
My advice, just to keep on drawing, painting and using your imagination as much as possible.
What have Stamford Downtown sculpture projects meant to you over the years?
Stamford Downtown means a restoration of my dreams as an artist. My first year was the Dinosaur. The name of my piece was Childhood and still one of my favorites.
I was shy and uncomfortable and didn't often show my work to anyone for fear of ridicule, let alone to such a wide audience.
-or-
You don't have to fit into any particular box and that's OK
