About
Sienna Del Conte
There is nothing more sacred than the artistic process. But to appreciate the artistic process, we must first appreciate the tool which allows us to bring our dreams to life: our hands.
It is through the power of our hands that we create a world worth living in.
Imagination would forever be relegated to the mind if not for hands, which breathe life into intangible dreams, transforming unborn visions into magnificent creations.
From the time I could hold a pencil in my hand, creating artwork has been my source of joy and perpetual passion. Alongside my love of art is my obsession for music, specifically old school rock. I was lucky to be born to a headbanging mom who would jam out to Rock and Roll by Led Zeppelin in the carpool lane at school, making sure her two daughters knew their 60’s and 70’s music long before we knew Taylor Swift. She was the first person to introduce me to a genre of music that would not only change my life, but would serve as the catalyst for a deeper exploration into the world of art and playing the guitar.
Inspired by the strength, power, and raw emotions effortlessly exuded by the musicians I love, my work is a celebration of the human form in its most electric, creative, and expressive state. After countless amounts of trial and error, I discovered a musician's talent and emotion is best expressed through their hands, for it is through their strong and calloused hands that timeless music is born. Delicate control and fevered motion emanate from musicians’ fingers as they master whichever instrument graces their presence. The passage of time is conveyed through the hands’ pronounced veins and arthritic fingers chiseled by the many toilsome years of continuous playing. By personifying the hands using bold brushstrokes, and blending realistic and abstract elements into each artwork, my work asks the viewer not to focus on what you see, but on how the pieces make you feel. I find the works which include solely the musician's hands to be the most soulful and interesting, for they capture the essence of the musician without even having to show a face. My hope is that through my work, I marry music and art into a harmonious and rhythmic form while simultaneously capturing the authentic personalities of those I paint.
Shifting my fascination with the human form and its relationship with hands into new avenues, the transition from painting musicians to athletes came quite naturally, for their rugged hands and fevered movements create the same dramatic aura I am most drawn to. Whether it be pen, pencil, or paint, my renderings of athletes strive to represent a burst in time, a kinetic lunge into space, and a body energized with firepower.
Creating this collection over the course of these past ten months has been the most challenging, inspiring, and transformative experience of my life. I hope that through my art, the viewer recognizes the power within our hands which serve as the vehicle for creating beauty in this world. By placing the viewer in the heat of action, gazing at bodies propelled by strength and rhythm, I strive to motivate the audience to do what makes them most excited to be alive. As Janis Joplin said, “Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose.” Do what you love and you will have nothing to lose, I promise.