Brushed by Grace: The Art and Vision of June A. Vecchio

I grew up and have spent time amid the coastal beauty of Rhode Island and have more recently found inspiration in the serene landscape in the foothills of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. When I’m asked about my style, I often describe it as a meeting of Renaissance refinement and the golden, liquid light that echoes from 11th-century icon panels that express a sacred geometry with its ability to fuse the spiritual with the visual through detailed symbolism and timeless beauty. Fra Angelico, Giotto, and other great masters helped shape my technique, but it is the deeper light of lights that has guided my soul.

My paintings, adorned with hand-hewn, intricately decorated frames, have been honored with exhibitions and appreciation for their Renaissance complexity and the simple, heartfelt truths they evoke. I am deeply humbled by the recognition my work has received, as each piece is both a reflection and an offering.

Studying under the great Nicaraguan artist Omar d’León was a transformative experience in my artistic journey. He was renowned for his mastery of cross-hatching techniques and his ability to blend multiple layers of color, light, and texture, brought a new depth to my work. His poetic sensibility and the fluid forms in his paintings profoundly influenced my own style, enriching the classical techniques I had absorbed in Italy. Through his mentorship, I not only evolved artistically but also gained a deeper understanding of how to convey the mystical and spiritual elements I sought in my own creations. This master’s unique approach and boundless passion for both art and poetry helped me refine my vision, bringing me closer to the essence of my work.

In every brushstroke and carved line, I strive to go beyond the bounds of religion and ideology, seeking to create art that is at once prophetic and familiar—a celebration of our oldest and most profound human and transcendent experiences.

About Heavensong Art

Often while painting, I would hear music in my spirit, compelling me to run and capture the words. One day, as I painted an angel for a dear friend, a poem poured forth and blossomed into a song. I felt it so deeply that I inscribed it on the back of the canvas:

“It’s a new way, a new song from heaven above. It’s a jewel in flight, a love song of light. Sing it aloud. Everyone now enter the cloud. Light as a feather without any cares, enter for the Divine waits for you there. Grow in the spirit and fly up above, sing from your heart this song of love. Oh everyone sing.”

In envisioning the re-launch of my art, I sought a name that captured the essence of what flows through me when I create—a melody of the heart, a hymn from the heavens. And so, Heavensong Art was born, inspired by the feeling that my work is not just painted, but sung into being.

Frames of Grace: Completing the Canvas

In each of my works, there are two creations intertwined: the painting and the handcrafted frame. They are inseparable, like two souls bound in a dance—the painting speaks, and the frame responds. Together, they form a harmonious marriage, where one breathes life into the other. What the canvas begins to reveal, the frame completes, adding depth and texture to what cannot be spoken in color alone. Each frame is a sculptural extension of the painting’s spirit, abstractly distilling its essence, offering a final touch of grace and balance to the story within.

Press

June A. Vecchio Curriculum Vitae

Born: 1951, Providence, Rhode Island

Education:

  • Rhode Island College, Providence, BFA 1991
  • Pietrasanta, Italy
  • Painting, Omar d’Leon, South America

Selected Awards and Scholarships:

  • 2002 – “Creativity and Beauty of Execution Award in Mixed Media”, Maxwell Mays Gallery, Providence, RI
  • 1999 – Painting Award, Fidelity Investments, Providence, RI
  • 1998 – Painting Award, Dodge House Gallery, Providence, RI
  • 1993 – Painting Award, Providence Art Club, Providence, RI
    Juror: Roger Mandle, President, Rhode Island School of Design
  • 1993 – Painting Award, DeCordova Museum, Lincoln, MA
  • 1990-91 – Printmaking Award, Dodge House Gallery, RI
  • 1987 – “Excellence in Studio Art Scholarship”, Rhode Island College, RI

Selected Collections:

  • 1998 – St. Anthony Church, North Providence, RI

Selected Catalogues:

  • 1997 – Hasbro Children’s Hospital, “Visions” Exhibit, Virginia Lynch Gallery—curator

Selected Membership:

  • 1987–1995 – Providence Art Club

Exhibitions:

  • 1997 – Dryden Galleries, Providence, RI—Painting
  • 1996 – Edgewood Gallery, Providence, RI—Painting
  • 1995 – Dodge House Gallery, Providence, RI—Sculpture
  • 1993 – Providence Art Club, Providence, RI—Painting
  • 1992 – Graphic Eye Gallery, Port Washington, NY—Printmaking
  • 1991 – Bannister Gallery, Providence, RI—Sculpture
  • 1975 – Pietrasanta, Italy—Sculpture