Alessandra Cortese de Bosis

“I would like my art to encourage the viewer with visuals of hope and light. Offering a sense of hopeful serenity. In some paintings there may be an added layer of quiet solitude or patient anticipation. A ray of light is always present. A friend commented that my paintings are visual meditations”

Meet Alessandra Cortese de Bosis

I was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Paris. Yes, I speak French. But not because I was born in France, because when I was 6, we moved to Moscow where I attended the French Elementary School. At 10, we moved to Washington DC where I attended 5th grade at Lafayette School and 6th and 7th grade at Annunciation School (yes, we also moved within a city!!).

After that, we moved to Rome, Italy (where I am originally from) for the rest of middle and then high school (Italian) and College.

I started my career as a translator/interpreter at the American Embassy in Rome, eventually becoming the head of the translation unit. I worked there for 12 years.
Then, life circumstances brought me to the United States. I became a citizen. I have been working as a free-lance translator/interpreter here ever since.

On the side, but very intensely, I play the violin in the churches that my husband Bruce, pastors (Bluemont and Philomont in Loudoun County, VA) and with a country/bluegrass/vintage rock group (the Four Hits and a Miss) I play in nursing homes, rehab centers and senior centers in Virginia.

I am a mother and… a grandmother!! I speak Italian, English and French.
And I paint!!

How I started

I have always drawn. At school, for boredom. With friends and family for fun.

I have been drawing faces since high school. I practiced drawing smiles, frowns, serious faces. I studied faces in different positions: front, slightly turned, profile, looking up, looking down. I had a “hat period”. I practiced drawing ballerinas, elegant women with interesting hairdos and dresses. So challenging!! So much fun!! However, I had not considered becoming an artist. I worked as a translator/interpreter. I traveled. I met interesting people. I love my job.

The call to paint came latish in life, spurred by painter Bob Ross, with his love of painting and nature. His short, 25-minute sessions were informative and encouraging. One Christmas, my son gave me a few canvasses and I started painting.

Just like with faces and hats, I strive to reproduce my vision (or a reference picture) exactly. I study it meticulously, research online for tips and tutorials. Then I start painting. For a while, it looks nothing like what I had in mind or the picture. But little by little, with patience and lots of tweaks and repaints, I get closer and closer to my vision. And then it happens: I feel a stirring when I look at it. At that point, I need to be careful and not over-tweak it.

I would like my art to encourage the viewer with visuals of hope and light. Offering a sense of hopeful serenity. In some paintings there may be an added layer of quiet solitude or patient anticipation. A ray of light is always present. A friend commented that my paintings are “visual meditations”.

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