Marc Dalessio was born in 1972 in Los Angeles, California. He is a naturalistic painter who at a young age has established himself as one of the foremost plein-air landscape painters working today. He is also one of the top portraitists currently working in Europe. Marc’s artistic training began at the University of California at Santa Cruz where he majored in biology and fine art. After graduating Phi Beta Kappa in 1992, he moved to Florence, Italy and trained as a portraitist for four years at a renowned atelier. Upon completion of his first year, Marc was awarded a full scholarship, and after finishing the full course, he became an advanced painting teacher at the school. Marc keeps a studio in Florence, Italy but travels for much of the year. Recent painting expeditions have included Greece and Albania, Morocco, Rajasthan, Sicily, Kenya, and the Caribbean. His works are in private collections worldwide.