Leo Rotelli

"Falling Leaves," Watercolor/Tempra, Leo Rotelli

Friend of Stan Johnson, DHS Employee, Bureau of Fiscal Services, Division of Enterprise Services

On Display:
March - May 2012
Floors 6 and 7

I began my art education in the Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania. My father, Placido, was a native of Parma Italy, and a sculptor who apprenticed in the same marble quarry in which Michelangelo began his career. I helped my father when allowed to and watched carefully. My youthful fascination soon turned into a lifelong love of art leading to my studying and graduating from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. After graduating, I worked under John Fabia, Professor of Sculpture at the Art Institute of Chicago. 

Despite my fine arts background I turned to commercial art and design. In this highly competitive field my career moved quickly. After serving as Art Director and creative head for Edelstein-Nelson Advertising Agency in Chicago I opened my own design firm, Rotelli Design, Inc. on North Michigan Avenue which I successfully operated for 30 years. During that time I specialized in corporate identity and communication design, winning dozens of awards in graphic design. But I never lost my love for fine art and continued my studies with Donald Jackson Mills, an internationally respected watercolorist. 

Today I am devoting all of my much-valued time to fine art. I paint in all media and concentrate primarily on landscapes, painting them in an impressionistic style. This focus on nature reflects my enduring love of the outdoors, also learned from my father, who was an avid outdoor sportsman and naturalist. In honor of my father's legacy, I sign my paintings "Nello," the name by which my father liked to call me.

Sample images from the art display at 1 West Wilson Street.  Select each image to open a larger version.

Email: jcuccia@flad.com

Last Revised:  March 07, 2012