Sebastian Andreas Alterera was born in New York City in 1964 and, by age four, knew he wanted to be an artist. Although his family was financially challenged, Alterera's mother supplemented their income selling her amateur sculpture throughout Greenwich Village. Her dedication to her artwork - despite the expense of materials and the lack of ample free time to pursue her creativity - greatly i
...see more »mpressed Alterera at a very young age. He began to accompany her when she would sell her work on sidewalks and to galleries, and soon began to sketch figures himself, well before the age of 10. Alterera spent the early years of his life painting, drawing and learning to play classical guitar. When Alterera was only 15, his father unexpectedly passed away. The loss greatly impacted Alterera, both emotionally and practically: his mother chose to move the family across the country to San Francisco to be with her parents. From this new sadness and solitude, Alterera quickly retreated into his art, which began to reflect the influence of nature on the human mind. The architecture, mountains and ocean in and around San Francisco became an infinite source of inspiration. Alterera was accepted into the Bachelor of Fine Arts program at the Ringling School of Art in Sarasota, Florida. His talent was recognized immediately, earning him the Best of Ringling Award two years in a row. Upon graduating from Ringling, Alterera entered the MFA program at the prestigious Savannah College of Art and Design. After receiving his Masters of Fine Arts degree there in 1992, he embarked on further studies in Naples, Italy. Alterera's painting flourished in Naples, inspired by the culture and heritage of that region. Focusing mostly on figurative painting, Alterera introduced several alternative methods of painting into his work - such as drip-painting and thick collage. After spending several years in Italy, Alterera returned to the U.S. and made a home in Atlanta, Georgia. Alterera's work has evolved dramatically over the years. Although he still prefers to work with the human figure, he has moved on from realistic figures to dynamic, figurative abstracts that reflect the natural colors and organic lines inspiring much of his work. These abstract pieces are unique in that they eschew the cold and austere mood that is prevalent in so much abstract work. Alterera's abstract art, with its deep texture and earth tones, seems to live and breathe emotion almost as much as his figuratives Alterera's art has been pursued by corporate, public and private collectors all across the United States and an be found in numerous galleries and collections, including the USF Medical Institute and Gallery Lumi?re. A partial list of Sebastian Alterera's works include: Prosperous I Prosperous II Prosperous III« see less
Dennis S. of California says:
"Thought I would drop you a line on how pleased we have been with your framing department. The selection is unimaginable, almost overwhelming. The help and suggestions you give us is exceptionable in making a selection. The finished framing job always meets or exceeds our expectations. Thanks again for always doing such a fine job on what is so important to us."