Born in Pisa 1980 Daniela Astone grew up in the sea-town of Porto S. Stefano in Maremma (Italy). In 1998 after graduating from the visual arts high school of Grosseto she moved to Florence to study illustration at the International School of Comix. In 2001 she enrolled at the Florence Academy of Art, where she graduated in 2004. Astone is currently the intermediate program director of The Florence Academy of Art, Florence Italy. The relationship I have with my environment is very important to me and so also for my art. When I am creating I loose track of time in my conversations with nature. When I make comparisons (each pear from my tree is different — this pear is like a face in a crowd) I begin to think of things symbolically. In life I experience two parallel worlds Nature and that of Mankind. In my art I am able to cross into nature to better express my feelings about humanity. – Daniela Astone