Artist John Del Monte said his work as an artist is "to search the root of still another truth." Starting April 18, five of his works reflecting that lifetime in the pursuit of truth will be on display in an exhibition titled "Primavera" at the South Arts Gallery in Bethel Park.

"I've based the foundation of my life on words from Dante's 'Inferno,' 'Consider from what noble seed you spring: you were created not to live like beasts but for the pursuit of virtue and knowledge,' " Mr. Del Monte, 83, said.

Mr. Del Monte, of Bethel Park, said it's important for an artist to know his or her subject matter thoroughly. Using a pear as an example, he said one shouldn't merely want to copy it, but to study it intimately, examining its color, interior, seeds, structure and relationship of parts to one another. The next step is to draw it, repeatedly.

"When you finally know the pear intimately, you can express the truth of it," he said. "Today, everyone is in such a hurry, students don't want to go through all this, but it's a beautiful way of discovering. After sketching your subject a number of times, you build up a subconscious repertoire, which enables you to arrive at an interpretation of truth that's your own."

Mr. Del Monte spent three years studying at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh before a scholarship took him to the Art Students League in New York. Later, studies at Woodstock, N.Y., with Frank Reilly, a man he considers a genius, proved to be what he called a turning point in his life and career.

"He taught his students to place an emphasis on structuring all forms based on the sphere, cylinder and rectangle, which taught us to draw from simple forms initially and then go on to more complex elements afterward," he said.

In his career, Mr. Del Monte has shown his work in many galleries and exhibits both at home and abroad, and his paintings are held in private collections in places such as Romania, Italy, Jordan and France.

His teaching career has also taken him to several places including New Jersey, New York City and Pittsburgh. In 1969 he established the Creative Arts Studies in Lucca, Italy, where he still serves as founder and director.

"I was introduced to the mayor of Lucca when he visited Pittsburgh many years ago," he said. "He asked me if I'd like to open an art school for foreign students. In the beginning, we held two-month summer sessions, but I now teach painting and drawing for only five weeks each summer."

Mr. Del Monte will offer painting and drawing classes from June 9 to July 4 in the picturesque Italian town not far from Pisa. Openings for the summer session are still available, and he's offering a discount to interested parties who phone him at 412-833-2998.

Twice in his life, in 1953 and 1962, he spent eight months traveling in Europe. The experience gave him the realization that students, not just art students, should take a year off school, get away to Europe and "sever the apron strings of home."

"The difference in culture and language helps accelerate the mind," he said.

South Arts spokesperson Margo Barraclough of Bethel Park calls Mr. Del Monte "a marvelous painter" who works in what she calls a Renaissance style.

"He always seems to include something mysterious in his work that makes the viewer wonder what he's trying to say through his art," she said. "

You might look for the "mysterious object" in one of the works he'll show in the "Primavera" exhibit titled "The Mirror,' which depicts his father and three horses. At the lower right hand corner of this relatively large 3-¹/₂ by 3¹/₂-foot painting, a small mirror that reflects light can be seen..

Also on display will be "Preludium and Allegro by Fritz Kreisler," a painting completed in 1946 before the artist started his formal training.

"Primivera," an exhibit of oil, acrylic, watercolor and pastel paintings, pottery, sculpture and note cards by more than 20 artists, is at the South Arts Gallery in the Schoolhouse Art Center, 2600 South Park Road in Bethel Park, from April 18 through May 30. Mr. Del Monte will be featured, and an opening reception will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. on Saturday. For more information, call 412-835-9010.