I believe creativity isn't a gift reserved for a few; it’s a language we all speak when we are brave enough to explore. My artwork is simply the physical footprint of that journey.
Amy Salerno
Thank you for stepping into my world. Whether you are here to collect a piece for your home, collaborate on a community project, or step into the nurturing space of my art lessons, you are so welcome here.
Pottery
Working in both porcelain and stoneware, my ceramics are wheel thrown forms, intricately hand carved and painted. Each piece is unique. The forms are inspired by the everyday beauty I see around me, while the hand painted patterns and decorations are pulled directly from the memories and artistic influences that have shaped my life.
Encaustic
Used by the Greeks, Egyptians, and Romans this ancient method of fusing beeswax, resin, and pigment through heat has mesmerized artists for centuries. Today, I practice this same beautiful technique in my studio often improvising with smalti and layered artifacts. Within each of my finished pieces are at least seven other paintings that have been melted, transformed, and layered over to reemerge as the final subject from my subconscious. This ancient process of layering allows me to stay continuously engaged in a creative dance between what is hidden and what is exposed.
Smalti Mosaic
I traveled to Venice and Ravenna to study the ancient Byzantine mosaic masterpieces—artworks that originally told stories to communities through pictures before most people could read. I trained at the historic furnace of Orsoni Venezia, founded in 1888 by Angelo Orsoni and one of only five places in the world to still create gold smalti. Finding endless inspiration inside their legendary tile library, I learned the ancient Byzantine technique of hand-cutting tiles using a traditional hammer and hardie, deliberately arranging each tessera directly into the mortar.
Community Mosaic Murals
In 2017 I had the life changing opportunity to meet and learn from Isaiah Zagar, the legendary creator of the Philadelphia Magic Gardens. His method struck me as the perfect way to make my mosaic studies from Venice accessible for large, collaborative group murals. His philosophy integrates community connection, personal expression, and the heartfelt belief that everyday, ordinary objects can hold profound artistic meaning transforming shared public environments into museums of beauty, magic, and inspiration.
Salerno Dream Artworks
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