ABOUT THE ARTIST

Starr Abbott was born into an artistic family.  Her grandfather was the famous sculptor, Pietro Cartaino di Sciarrino, known as C.S. Pietro. His brother was sculptor Paolo Cartaino di Sciarrino, known as C.S. Paolo. Her maternal uncle was Salvatore Scarpitta. His son, Sal Scarpitta, was a modern artist of increasing renown.

Starr Abbott's paintings are produced in an undercurrent of respect that she has for her grandfather's masterful work. This also causes her to apply constant pressure to herself and to refine all aspects of her paintings with her natural ability, training, and a perfectionist nature. It is understandable that she produces such masterful Victorian style work.

However, only a handful of people understand that Starr Abbott's realism paintings are her own emotional locution. This parlance is the soul of her art and is embodied in the totality of her artistry assimilated in: colors, objects, subjects, foregrounds, and backgrounds. This stealthy quintessence is woven into her realism paintings without causing ripple in the proper composition of the work, deceiving the most trained observer to see only a beautiful artistic picture.

To assist in understanding this embodiment in her realism paintings, parts of Starr's background are given.

Starr Abbott's mother, Maria Cartaino Abbott, was divorced when Starr was a toddler, causing Starr and her mother to live with Starr's grandmother, Stella Cartaino. Together they frequented Italy and toured all the great art museums of Europe. It was a family tradition to convey intimacy in art to their children.  Starr's mother and grandmother took great pleasure in exposing little Starr to the beauties of art.  It was during this period that Starr gained her lasting love for Pre- Raphaelite Victorian art and the great masters' work.

Starr was five years old when she was diagnosed with polio.  The progression of this disease required extensive surgery when she was ten years old, causing her to spend the next year in a body cast. 


Realist Painting

The resulting pain, loneliness and related emotions introduced her to seek a friend -- one she could confide her most intimate feelings to.  Starr found this companion in her artistry and developed a secret way to tell her friend everything.

To maintain absolute veracity with her companion, Starr Abbott is truthful, bold, and consistent. Starr does not use pastel colors. The meanings she attaches to segments of her art do not deviate from one artistic picture to another.  When one gains knowledge of the lures, mysteries, and meanings found in her realism paintings, an elaborate consistent map of the thoughts and soul of a creative and complex realism artist is exposed.  Starr finds this not as an intrusion but as an inclusion into her beautiful world of art.  She states, "I feel we all have the need to be understood; we also guard who we tell our secrets to."

An examination of two paintings "Little Apprentice" and "Three Graces" are explored to illuminate this aspect of her art.