Smoking Jazz

Joe Calabria, known artistically as Rocco, rediscovered his passion for art later in life, transforming a childhood incident involving confiscated crayons into a lifelong artistic journey. Beginning in the mid-1990s in Washington D.C., he embarked on a pencil sketch period, capturing musicians and scenes that resonated with him. Rocco's art evolved through line drawings colored with prism pen markers to using acrylics and oils.

Rocco's unique techniques include using unconventional tools like toothpaste tube caps to create impressions on canvas, emphasizing his belief that there are no rules in art. His work, characterized by a refined approach over time, once graced the label of a Spanish wine, a highlight of his career. Inspired by iconic figures like Georgia O'Keeffe, Jackson Pollock, and Vincent Van Gogh, Rocco continues to explore and express his artistic vision, living by a philosophy of openness and impeccable integrity in both life and art.

Location: Saint Augustine, Florida

Preferred Mediums:

• Acrylic
• Oil
• Pen and Ink
• Charcoal
• Graphite