Popular Teacher and Art Show Judge, Carmelo Schifano Knows his Stuff!

Carmelo's watercolor work is loose, colorful and eye-catching. Scroll down to see more of his artwork...

Carmelo Schifano is a colorful character, every bit as colorful as the art he creates. An engaging conversationalist, storyteller, former Marine (1971-1973), and decades-long teacher, his commitment to inspiring students and demystifying the art process remain steadfast. His goal is to encourage everyone to simply grab a paintbrush, have some fun, and lose your fear. And along with weekly teaching at multiple art leagues throughout the Chicago area, he finds time to continue with his own award-winning painting.

During his 50 years as an artist, he has gained skill in all types of art media - acrylic or watercolor, woodworking and more -- he tackles projects fearlessly. His subject matter is varied from military themes, racing cars, landscapes and figurative to flowers. He advises his students not to be handcuffed to any particular medium -- try them all.

Working mostly in watercolor now, he likes the quick and easy clean up. His watercolor work has earned him many accolades. He is active in the Illinois Watercolor Society, Transparent Watercolor Society of America, American Watercolor Society and the Missouri Watercolor Society among many others. Recently he was invited to be the new Historian for the Illinois Watercolor Society. Additionally, his work has garnered international awards.

Residing in Orland Park, IL, he was born in Sicily and accompanied his family to the U.S. in 1958. Always dabbling in art, pursuing it later as a career was a natural fit.

Although retired, he maintains a busy teaching schedule and his popular classes often have a Wait List. Teaching, he says, helps keep him young, gives him motivation and a goal to focus on each morning when he wakes up.

Here's what he advises: "Learn to SEE your world. Few people know how to actually SEE! Daily routines and daily life absorb our attention with the end result being that we "overlook" our surroundings. However, seeing can be a most rewarding habit and you will be grateful you learned to see such visuals as a tree silhouetted against the sky, a sagging garden gate, silos and sheds surrounded by green fields. It's all about seeing the shapes against their surroundings."

Over the years he's learned simply that loving and creating art are enough.

If you're in the Naperville area, here's his next scheduled class sessions at the Naperville Art League: Watercolor Painting (Basic level), April 2-23, 2026, (9-11am), 4 Thursdays

$120.00. Sign up here: https://www.napervilleartleague.com/adult-classes.html

Carmelo created two watercolor pieces for last year’s inaugural exhibit of works by veterans at McCord Gallery & Cultural Center in Palos Park. He painted “Deep in Prayer,” right, and “Thousand-yard Stare” from photographs. Schifano said the soldier in “Thousand-Yard Stare” died not long after the photo was taken. PHOTO CREDIT ABOVE: (Melinda Moore/Daily Southtown)