How The Artist Began

Philip Bellomo

Philip Bellomo started his art career at the age of eight.  He knew then, as he knows now, that he always would be an artist.  He also sensed, but did not know at the time, that there was a special place he would call home.

Dedicated teachers and life experiences have played a strong roll as he developed as an artist.  Miss Ruth Stamp, his grade school teacher was the first to recognize that one student in the class was processing information "differently".  Instead of sending Bellomo to the school psychologist, she arranged a scholarship at The Rochester Memorial Art Gallery in Rochester, New York, the city of his birth.

The years that followed were filled with great schools and fantastic teachers:  Two years at Pratt Institute at Brooklyn, New York, followed by the best ceramic education at New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University at Alfred, New York.  Outstanding teachers, including Charles Harder, Dan Rhodes, Val Cushing and Ted Randall, greatly influenced Bellomo's understanding of the world of ceramics.

Summer school at Penn State at State College, Pennsylvania, introduced him to the world of Art Education.  It was there that Bellomo learned what special people educators are.  He became an Artist/Educator.

The second element of Bellomo's youthful prescient knowledge that a special home awaited him somewhere came to be in a 1957 visit to Tucson, Arizona.  He was home at last.

There at the University of Arizona he earned both his BA and MA degrees.  The next 15 years he employed his abilities as a free-lance artist.  In 1975 he took a teaching position at Pima Community College until his retirement in 1998.

He now spends his time actively involved in his painting studio and his ceramic studio with a particular focus on producing three dimensional Moorish tiles.

Watch for new installments on the process of creating, glazing and firing the tiles.

Last week Bellomo fired 70 more tiles to add to the impressive inventory he has readied for sale.  You'll remember he has many good friends.  One of them electronically configured some photos of the tiles into examples of what they might look like as a screen, or window treatment, or doorway--the architectural uses are infinite.  Here are a couple of the examples:
                                                  

Ceramics, Painting and Friends

Of the ton of clay on hand at the beginning of summer, Bellomo has turned 3/4 of it into a huge inventory of beautiful tiles.  He expects by September to run out of clay.  He is developing a new tile design to add to the six that are already in the collection, and soon he will finish creating an additional glaze choice, as well.  Besides the ceramic work his painting is going very well, too.

Bellomo speaks often of having wonderful friends.  His love of  friends, people and his work are easy to see as you walk through the welcoming entryway into the interior of his home.  There is generous light, color, and harmony that reveals the man in the art.  To quote him, "I spend many hours in the studio working very hard;  I seem to be happier than I have ever been".

Watch in the days ahead for Bellomo's new web site.  More information on the tiles and prices will be available there.  Advance information may be obtained by contacting him at bello25@msn.com.

In 1983, Philip Bellomo embarked on a creative journey that touched his interest in light and shadow and Middle Eastern Architecture. Moorish Screens were his inspiration. By combining porcelain and the magic of reduction firing, Bellomo completed the dream. 

Changing patterns of light and shadow as the sun traces over the tiles' filigree are a delight to the eye as they become functional window coverings or room dividers. The tiles filter out as much as 80% of the sun's rays, while still permitting the flow of air through the filigree without sacrificing privacy.

These important architectural screens are found throughout the Middle East, North Africa, Sicily and Spain.

Any day of the week finds this fine artist working in either his

Ceramic Studio or his Painting Studio.