The Brushstrokes that Shaped My Life
A book written by the artist’s daughter, Rosann Scalise.
Written by the artist’s daughter, Rosann Scalise, The Brushstrokes That Shaped My Life, contains Rosann’s interpretive stories alongside twenty-six reproductions of Nick’s paintings.
It begins with a history of Nick’s life; his early days painting in a closet-sized basement studio in his mother’s home, his years of art training, his courtship with his wife, Henny, their family life and reflections on what it was like growing up as the daughter of an artist.
The conclusion speaks of the forces that shaped his artwork and his last years of life, wherein he lived with the disease of Alzheimer’s, which gradually robbed him of his vision, a particularly devastating loss for an artist.
A sample selection of the stories can be viewed and listened to below.
Copies of the book may be purchased by contacting Rosann on the contact page. Book Price – $30, plus shipping.
A Devoted, Loving Spouse
Nicholas Scalise found great joy in his family and especially in his relationship with his wife, Henrietta Tiezzi Scalise, who still lives today in Connecticut. Their life together was a unique partnership. Her unwavering support was the foundation that enabled Nick to paint and create his art each and every day. It was Henny who encouraged him to paint full time, leaving his teaching job that he held for ten years at the Famous Artists School in Westport, CT.
Henny worked long days as a registered nurse in the operating room at the local hospital. Her foresight and her moral and financial support were paramount in sustaining his unbounded creativity. In a way their partnership was like an alchemist’s dream, all the ingredients were present in the right quantities for a splendid formulation.
“The very essence of the thing that I am painting is what I’m after.”
Nicholas Scalise