Concetta Antico, an impressionist oil painter who possesses the rare ability to see up to 100 million colors, is celebrating three decades of groundbreaking arts education with a new exhibition at her La Jolla Village gallery. Known as "The Color Queen" for her extraordinary gift of tetrachromacy, Antico has transformed from teaching in a tiny 400-square-foot space in Bird Rock to owning a prominent art gallery in one of San Diego's most prestigious neighborhoods.
Antico's artistic journey began at the remarkably young age of five, when she started painting with oil on canvas by copying works of French Impressionist masters. In 1995, she made a bold entrepreneurial move by opening one of San Diego's first fine art retail studios, Art Tours & Artshops in Bird Rock. This decision was particularly courageous given that very few female artists were launching their own art spaces during that time period.
Today, this passionate advocate of Impressionism continues her lifelong mission of sharing her beloved art style with students of all ages at her new location, The Salon of Art Gallery, situated at 7655 Fay Avenue. The gallery, conveniently located next door to The Lot and directly across the street from The Conrad, serves multiple purposes as Antico's personal painting studio, workshop space for oil painting classes, venue for plein air sessions, and gathering place for community events.
"This space came up; it had been vacant for five years since COVID," Antico explained about discovering her current location. "It had been a kids' gym, and a friend told me about it, and here I am, back in La Jolla. But I'd never been in the Village before. It's a good spot. I've been here almost a year. A lot of locals as well as tourists are coming in, and I'm selling art to people from all over the world."
What makes Antico truly unique in the art world is her rare neurological condition called tetrachromacy. While the average human with normal trichromatic vision can perceive approximately one million colors, tetrachromats possess a fourth type of cone cell in their eyes, enabling them to perceive an estimated 100 million different colors. Antico holds the distinction of being the world's only known, functioning, and scientifically endorsed tetrachromatic artist, making her paintings highly collectible and extremely rare.
Throughout her impressive career spanning eight different locations over three decades, Antico has successfully combined her artistic talents with business acumen to build a lifelong career creating and teaching oil painting. Her dedication to education is evident in the fact that her students' artworks are prominently displayed throughout her gallery, serving as a testament to her exceptional teaching abilities.
"A lot of people come in and say, 'You've got a big shop,'" Antico noted. "And I say, 'It's taken my whole life to get to this spot.'" The Australian-born artist has made significant contributions to art education in San Diego, as she proudly states: "I want to give the gift of art and perception and enjoying color and creativity to other people. And I have. I've taught over 25,000 people how to paint in San Diego for over 30 years. I was the first person to put fine art in the San Diego Unified School District and have after-school art programs."
Antico maintains a strict focus on oil painting, noting that she is "purely an oil painter who doesn't dabble in anything else." She teaches oil painting using the classical method, following the techniques of legendary masters like Claude Monet and Rembrandt. Her French-inspired Impressionist style reflects her personal interpretation of subjects. "It's an impression of that subject, my impression of that subject," she explained. "Impressionism is one of the more favored art styles. People love that style of painting because they can see something in it."
Regarding her color preferences, while Antico's favorite colors are turquoise and violet, she has a particular appreciation for white. "I also like white because white is all colors," she said. "I love the subtle nuances of white." Her unique approach to painting involves completing each work in a single session, with no corrections or revisions. "All the brush work is one time – there are no corrections," she pointed out.
Antico has created so many paintings throughout her career that she finds it difficult to estimate the total number. However, she considers her role as an educator even more important than her artistic output. "I have many students who've gone on to become professional artists. I've always wanted to teach people what I know, and that's very satisfying. Teaching is a very special thing. When you give your gift to someone else, you change lives. I took the skills that I learned in university, and then took my passion to paint, and melded those together to create a process that makes it very easy for people to learn."
Demonstrating her commitment to community service, Antico donates five percent of everything she sells to Rady Children's Hospital. Her newest public exhibition, titled "Ethereal Beauty," will open on Saturday, August 30th, with a VIP opening reception from 7:00 to 10:00 PM at The Salon of Art Gallery. The event is free to attend, though RSVPs are required for attendance.
