Renata Vaccari is doing what she always wanted — making art.
The local artist and former restauranteur based in the Aspen Hill/Rockville area has been drawing since childhood, but it was not until later in life that she really got into art.
MCM talked with Vaccari about her lifelong journey that led to her finally fulfilling her dream.
In the 1960s, Vaccari moved from the Italian city of Udine to the U.S., where her first job was checking coats at a French restaurant in Washington, D.C. She and her husband later had their son.
In the 70s, Vaccari and a business partner opened Rockville’s Amalfi Ristorante Italiano, which closed in 2022 after more than four decades.
After 21 years at Amalfi, she decided to pursue what she always wanted. She attended Montgomery College, and from there, her career as an artist took off.
Her medium of choice is oil pastel. She prefers creating landscapes and often takes inspiration from local places in Montgomery County, where she takes photos with her phone to reference later.
After her husband passed away in 2011, she continued making art. Vaccari has won several art awards, sold several works, and plans to show more of her oil pastel pieces.
