Born in a small town near Lucca, Tuscany Rita Monaco came to Canada in 1967. After majoring in painting and photography from the University of Alberta, she began a 20 year career as a graphic artist and illustrator. In 1993 Monaco became a full time painter.
Her annual trips to Italy provide a great deal of inspiration for her works. The vineyards, olive groves and fields of her native Tuscany are among her main subjects but she also paints landscapes of Sicily, the region where she grew up. Pathways and roads are frequently seen in her colourful pieces. "I love these geometric elements because they provide a backbone for the piece and convey a feeling of entering into the painting. A feeling of being there".
Rita works and lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.