Our Team
Sam D’Ambruoso
Sam is a full time professional artist concentrating on commissioned landscapes and portraits. He is always “searching for the play of darks against lights, expressed in vivid colors all in a painterly style. From florals to figures the light becomes the drama, the feeling, the truth, which moves the viewer.”
For over 35 years he has taken joy in sharing his artistic vision, specializing in classical drawing and painting techniques for landscapes and portraiture. Since 1997 Sam has held his popular Workshops in Tuscany, Amalfi, Sicily, Italy and locations in the US. His paintings are in public and private collections here and abroad.
A graduate of Providence College he furthered his development as an artist in figure, portraits and landscape at Lyme Academy of Art with Dan Gheno, Paier School of Art with Joseph Funaro and Paul Lipp also noted landscape painter, Thomas Beuchner of Elmira, NY and Peter Cox, Art Students League, NYC.
Sam is a member of CT Portrait Artists, CT Plein Air Painters Assoc., Washington Art Assoc., Elected Artist at Kent Art Assoc., Lyme Art Assoc. He served a two year term to the CT Commission on the Arts.
Fun Fact: Sam D’Ambruoso’s landscape, CT River, Old Lyme, was selected by former Gov. Jodi Rell to be exhibited in The CT Governor’s Residence and is included in the State’s permanent art collection.
Mary Ann D’Ambruoso
Mary Ann is pleased to share with you her love of Italian Culture and, of course, it’s world renowned Cuisine. She and her husband Sam introduced travel opportunities in art instruction and cooking lessons based on the premise that Italy imparts a sense of Joy and life lived to its fullest - La Gioia Vita!
Mary Ann took her culinary training at the Professional Culinary Arts Center of The New School, NYC. She was employed in hospitality services at various hotels and private clubs, organizing corporate and social events. Mary Ann also worked as Executive Chef for a museum cafe and an innovative resident spa facility developing specialized recipes and menus.
Fun Fact: Mary Ann’s menus and recipes were featured in Town and Country, Cosmopolitan and Chocolatier magazines as well as The New York Post and CT newspapers, and she served as a Cooking Contest Judge for a regional community newspaper.
Kaleigh Zea
Kaleigh loves to travel and explore new regions. She fell in love with Italy during her summer internship in Rome. However, her love for Italy started as a child when her grandparents Sam and Mary Ann would bring lemon soap home from Positano.
Kaleigh graduated from Eastern Connecticut State University with a degree in communications, focusing on video production and social media. While studying, she was also dancing and found her passion for teaching dance.
On top of her position as Media Manager here at La Gioia Vita, she is also a full time ballroom dance instructor!
You can count on her to keep you updated on all latest travel news with La Gioia Vita!