PITTSTON TWP. — When you look at Piera Santi-Marotto’s artwork, be prepared to be charmed by the details.
In her Ode to Pittston, for example — you’ll see a bit of the menu from Sabatelle’s Market, a wedding gown on a dress form to represent Gerri’s Bridal, a chocolate-dipped heart logo from the window of Christa Lynn’s Bakery, and the face of a coal miner from one of the downtown murals.
And in her Ode to Dressmakers you’ll spot her mother’s vintage Singer sewing machine, a Simplicity pattern, an ILGWU label, spools, a thimble, measuring tape and even a pin cushion that resembles a Pittston tomato.
“I want the viewer to feel the love I pour into my art,” said Santi-Marotto, who lives in Pittston Township and turns 68 this week. “You will see homage to my Italian roots — love of food, culture and wine making. You will also find depictions of nature, fashion, whimsy and American patriotism stemming from my immigrant background and 17 years as an Air Force wife.”
Santi-Marotto was born in Bagni di Lucca, Italy, and came to the United States with her parents in 1955. She enjoyed art while she was growing up and, after graduating from the former St. John’s High School in Pittston, became a fine arts major for two years at what was then Wilkes College.
Then came marriage to James Marotto, whose Air Force career took their family to Illinois, New Jersey, California, Colorado and even her native Italy, which was a wonderful opportunity to get to know overseas relatives.
“We got to visit my grandmother and aunts and uncles a lot,” the artist said.
The couple raised two sons, and Santi-Marotto finished her degree in business and marketing at Columbia College. She worked in education as well as marketing and merchandising, contributing her talents to product launches and ad campaigns.
She retired six years ago, and has enjoyed the extra time she has to paint.
“I like to add a lot of whimsy to my art,” Santi-Marotto said, walking through the first floor of her home, where some paintings depict a bridge or walkway with the ebony-and-ivory pattern of a piano keyboard.
One mural, painted directly in the wall, gives the appearance of exposed bricks and provides an interesting backdrop for a tiny, three-dimensional mountain climber, crafted from wire.
Santi-Marotto maintains a studio in her basement, and her artwork is often on display at a downtown Pittston coop, Art E Fekts Gallery. It also has been included in Wyoming Valley Art League exhibitions and has won such awards as first place in Acrylic Painting and Best of Show at the Northeast Fair in 2015 as well as First Place in Acrylic Painting at the Northeast Fair 2017.
“Art is my happy place,” Santi-Marotto wrote in an essay. “Creating art transports me to a place where time slips away unnoticed. I become totally absorbed in my creative process and feel excited, content and at peace. I am excited because I am often surprised by the journey and where the creative process takes each individual piece. I feel contentment and peace because creating art gives me joy. I want the viewer to feel what I feel when I create art.”
