Rita Asfour Armenian Artist - Autobiography

My Armenian father was an inventor. Thanks to him, my natural curiosity as a child was greatly encouraged. During the troubled times of World-War-1, he was forced to escape his birthplace near the Russian-Turkish border. The only escape route open to him was down the southern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. His journey ended in Cairo, where I was born.

My sojourns were of a much more pleasant nature. I traveled to Italy, Germany, France, Tahiti, and Mexico, before traveling to many cities in the US and finally settling down in Malibu, where I have lived since 1982.

I started my professional career as a magazine and book cover illustrator. The next big assignment was as a portrait artist at Universal Studios. Encouraged by the many sales that followed, I opened my own art gallery in Beverly Hills in 1970. There, I sold my own paintings, as well as those of other artists, and gave private art lessons to a few celebrities. A few years later when my only daughter Amber was born, I felt compelled to stay home to take care of her. I gradually went back to painting as Amber grew up and became more independent.

EDUCATION
From Kindergarten through high school I went to the French school Le Lycee Francee. That was followed by six years of strict Italian tutoring at The Leonardo Da Vinci Italian Academy Of Arts, from which I graduated with a BA in Fine Arts. My Italian instructors taught me how to paint alla prima.

Immediately after immigrating to the US, I enlisted at The Chouinard Art Institute. Shortly after, I took private lessons from Sam Markitante, an 80-year old French artist who taught the techniques he learned in the Paris studio that he rented after the death of Renoir.

I then went on to sell hundreds of paintings in: Canada, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Europe, and all over the United States. Amongst my distinguished collectors were: Ella Fitzgerald, Donna Reed, Tricia Nixon, Congressman Alphonso Bell, and publisher Otis Chandler.

THROUGH THE YEARS

These are a few of the galleries that have exhibited my work:
House of Hartford Gallery, Beverly Hills
Wally Findlay Galleries, Beverly Hills
Gallery Camille, Beverly Hills,
W. J. Sloan, Beverly Hills
Wentworth Galleries, Nationwide
Atlas Galleries, Chicago
Lumina Galleries, Soho, New York
Vail Fine Art, Colorado
Carol Schwartz Galleries, Philadelphia
Artexpo New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco
Modern Art Gallery – Japan
Allan Art, Singapore

I have donated my artwork to many charities including; The International Leukemia Foundation, The City of Hope, The Ballet School by the Sea in Malibu, The Boys & Girls Clubs Of America, The Thalians, the Washington DC Airport Authorities, and The Los Angeles County Sheriff.

LIFE’S HARDSHIPS
An accidental fall on a private yacht left my left arm broken in 5 places. Later, my husband discovered he had cancer. Overcoming these obstacles took time. But now, in 2011, even though these injuries are still sometimes painful, I have overcome them and am back at my studio, painting almost every day. I live with my husband Jeffrey, my only daughter Amber and my four cats.

Rita Asfour Fine Art

Phone: 310-666-2564 - E-Mail: websales@ritaasfour.com

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