Reprinted
In Its Entirety
With Permission From The Fort Worth Star Telegram:
Spirit of Italy and Texas captured in mans work
By
Angie Summers
Source:
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Credit:
Star-Telegram staff writer
Sunday,February 3, 2008
Edition: ArlingtonS, Section: Advance Metro,
Page BB1
* The Rome native
loves art but spent most of his working life as a boot and shoe
designer.
ARLINGTON
The soft golden tones of Tuscany, the brilliant blue along the
Amalfi Coast and the rich jewel tones cast from canals in Venice
reflect the passion both in
Claudio
Jannis
artwork and in his life.
The Rome native has
loved art "all of his life" but spent his professional life as a
shoe and boot designer. Only after his retirement from Justin Boots
in 2001 could he devote more time to painting.
It wasnt a life that he envisioned
while growing up in Rome until he met a young Pan American
stewardess in 1963. Arleen
Janni
had a two-day layover in Rome. She spoke no Italian, and he spoke no
English. But they were young and idealistic.
"We fell in love, and
we had seen too many movies," he said.
The couple faced some obstacles.
Janni
was working with the Merchant Marine and was into one year of a
two-year contract when they decided to get married.
"I asked the boat
captain if I could leave so I could move to the United States, but
he said I had to honor my contract," he said. "So I jumped the
ship."
The couple married in Sicily. After a
brief absence so
Janni
could get his paperwork to leave Italy, they were reunited in
Arleens native New York. The couple lived in Brooklyn, where he
worked at the Parsons School of Design building in the fashion
industry. That job led to Nashville in the early 1970s, where he
worked with Lucchese Boots and Wrangler Boots before moving to
Arlington in 1981 to work with Justin Boots.
Did you enjoy
working as a boot designer?
Oh, yes. I got
involved designing Western boots with Sam Lucchese. When I was with
the company, I got to meet lots of different people for whom we
designed custom boots, such as actors John Wayne, Maureen OHara and
Dale Robertson. I also met Mickey Mantle. I offended him because I
thought he was a truck driver. I didnt know anything about baseball
then.
What type of
concepts do you look at when designing a Western boot?
Some of it is
geographical since cowboys arent the same in different areas of the
country and dont use the same type of boots. You also look at
whether the items are working boots or show boots. Finally you have
to look at the tannage of the leather, then coordinate the colors or
contrast in the design and any techniques such as hand tooling or
embossing that you want. You also need to look at the stitching on
the boot.
What are your
interests since you retired?
Painting and cooking
have always been part of my life, but my son introduced me to golf.
Golf has drawn me in, and its a new passion.
What type of
paintings do you produce?
My paintings are all
oils of landscapes in Italy. I do about seven to eight a year,
depending on the subject. Many paintings are inspired by Venice and
its canals, plus scenes from Tuscany and the Amalfi Coast.
How do you choose
your subjects?
I go to Italy at
least once a year, sometimes twice a year. I sketch and take notes
about the time of year or the colors I see. Sometimes I take a
photograph so I can refer to it when Im painting.
How would you
describe your paintings?
They have a strong
focus with light and contrast. I use realistic detail in my
paintings.
What advice can you
give people?
Never give up, no
matter what you choose to do. And if you have a good heart, youll
be OK.
Claudio
Janni
Age: 68
Occupation: Artist;
retired as director of product development for Justin Boots,
Lucchese Boots and Wrangler Boots
Education: Studied at
Conte Verde School of Art and attended Nuova Italia Art Institute in
Italy
Unique honor: He
explains how to make boots in a video display at the National Cowboy
& Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.
Artwork: His
paintings have been featured in exhibitions in Rome, Venice and
Florence, plus in the Banks Fine Art and Florence Art galleries in
Dallas and in the Milan Art Gallery in Fort Worth.
Family: Married for
42 years to his wife, Arleen. They have two sons, one daughter and
six grandchildren.
asummers@star-telegram.com ANGIE SUMMERS,
817-548-5405
image: When
Claudio
Janni
worked at Lucchese Boots, he met celebrities like John Wayne and
Maureen OHara. "I also met Mickey Mantle," he says. "I offended him
because I thought he was a truck driver."
S-T/Bruce Maxwell
image:
Claudio
Janni
has retired from boot companies and spends time painting and playing
golf.
Janni,
who is originally from Rome, lives in north Arlington. His advice?
"Never give up, no matter what you choose to do."
Star-Telegram/Bruce
Maxwell
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