Gio has always loved nature - his very first word was “Bird” spoken when his mother showed him a goldfinch. He started drawing at age four and has never stopped.

Today, Gio earns a living as a professional software engineer but spends much of his free time drawing and painting. He draws inspiration for his work from nature and the people around him. He enjoys drawing and painting a wide variety of subjects including portraits, figures, wildlife, and landscapes. Gio enjoys painting with oils and drawing with conte, pencil, charcoal, and pen & ink.

“When creating artwork, I have two objectives. The first is to render my subject accurately. The second is to bring my subject to life on the canvas. This is very difficult and I don’t always succeed. But as an artist, this is my always my highest goal and greatest challenge.”

Gio is currently studying drawing and painting with artist Robert Liberace. Gio is a member of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators, the Fine Arts League of Cary, and the Wake Audubon Society. He is a regular participant at the Sertoma Arts Center’s Tuesday morning portrait group and ArtSpace Raleigh’s life drawing sessions.

In addition to drawing and painting, Gio also enjoys bird watching, gardening, astronomy, architecture, woodworking, and working out.

Gio, his wife, Carolyn, and their cat, Oatmeal, live in a solar home overlooking a magnificent wetland just outside of Raleigh, North Carolina.