First Impressions
The artist talks about how his watercolour work has developed
John DePianto
MINESTRONE This was inspired by my grandmother, who cooks wonderful minestrone, and also a memory of making homemade pizza with my mother as a child.
Where did you grow up and how has this inf luenced your art? I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. There are many parts of the Bay where art is celebrated. This included not only illustration but also music, theatre and more. I was lucky to have grown up in an area where creativity was encouraged.
What, outside of art, has most inf luenced your artwork? Outside of picture book illustration, animation and comics, I’d say that my family has been very inf luential in my work. Growing up, I always enjoyed being around a family who had such strong, hilarious and caring personalities on both sides.