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Dino

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I am currently realizing a lifelong childhood dream-that of opening a small art studio specializing in Italian maiolica

I call my studio The Venetian Cat, named after the playing cards that I designed for a school project. (See Artwork page).

Hello,my name is Julia Passamonti-Colamartino, and I live in New Hampshire, USA with my husband Dino, youngest son and five cats.

Although my interests and talents are many, my primary interests are painting and pottery. I graduated in May of 2003 with an associates degree in graphic design, 3.98 GPA. I also have a Bachelor's degree from University of New Hampshire in Fine Arts.

I'm a bilingual Italian-American artist and healer born November 1959 in Boston, Massachusetts. (I speak passable French as well). I have three children: my son Christopher 22, who is musically talented and sings and plays drums and guitar in a band, my daughter Elizabeth, 20, who loves babies small children and cutting hair, and finally my son Martin, 14, who loves science and video games. I also have a grandson: Ethan Hamel , born August 2, 2002.

     I come from a family of healers.   My father was Dr. Gino Passamonti, a dental professor who taught for many years at Tufts Medical-Dental School in Boston. Gino Passamonti arrived in the United States in 1958 at the age of 29 on a fellowship, and came to further his medical degree that he had obtained in Italy by specializing in dentistry He was from Abruzzi, Italy, and died in 1996.   He authored two textbooks amd helped countless people by providing them with top quality, low cost dental care.

    My mother Camille, herself a gifted artist,was an art teacher who had also studied clothing design. Today she gives private art lessons to children and regularly does volunteer work at soup kitchens and rest homes. Her father,"Patsy"Picariello, came to the states from Puglia at a young age and became one of the largest clothing manufacturers in New England (John-Roberts Inc.) Her mother Rose was a skilled seamstress and was born in Queens, New York city. She was of Neapolitan origin.

     My brother Paul is a Catholic priest , Army Captain and Chaplain who often works in war ravaged zones and helps people rebuild their lives.   Currently, he is stationed in Germany.   My sister Nora loves to work with animals and old people. My youngest brother Mark is an Army doctor, husband and father currently living in the USA.

Left to right: Julia 46, Elizabeth 20, Martin 14, Chris 22, and Dino 46
November 2005

I became interested in alternative methods of healing in order to both deal with my own acute depression which I suffered from for most of my life as well as severe Attention Deficit Disorder in my oldest son and daughter. I did not want to risk the weight gain and liver damage associated with most conventional medicine, so I began to study herbology.
In my research, I came across a correspondence course entitled "The Science and Art of Herbology" written by well-known herbalist Rosemary Gladstar. I then attended her school in East Barre, Vermont for two years (1999 and 2000) and completed both the written and the hands-on apprenticeship.

In the meantime, I had been practicing meditation since 1995, and found that I was easily able to go in and out of trance. I became interested in journeying as related to the practice of shamanism; that is to say "traveling"at will to the Spirit World or "non-ordinary reality" in order to help other people. I came across a book by Michael Harner called The Way of the Shaman, and realized after reading it that shamanism spoke to me both as a healing technique and as a way to enrich my spirituality and lifestyle. I completed Harner's Basic Workshop seminar in 1998 and have since used shamanism extensively in my healing practice.

I am happy to report that I no longer suffer from depression, and I was able to manage my children's ADD without the use of drugs and with the help of a tremendous therapist, Paul Spack, of Dover, New Hampshire.

   Hello, my name is Dino (born Berardino) Colamartino andI was born in Sora, Italy, in the province of Frosinone in December, 1958.   My father Tonino is a retired Carabiniere
(elite Italian military police)   My mother Fausta (Odorisio) taught fine embroidery to schoolgirls as well as ran a cafe'-bar/tobacco shop and later, gelateria (ice cream shop).

    Like my wife Julia, my talents are many, and my interests range from mechanics, physics, and electricity to writing and poetry. I studied law for three years at the University of Florence and later, Rome University . I supported myself by running my own espresso machine business, and I LOVE to drink coffee!   I am currently employed as an HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) technician.

     Some years ago, I became interested in meditation and the metaphysical, having read authors such as Brian Weiss (Many Lives, Many Masters) and Igor Sibaldi (I Maestri Invisibili-The Invisible Masters). I also worked for several years as a volunteer in the Chasse Program, a program designed to help teens overcome alcohol and drug addiction.

     I describe myself as a "sensitive";-that is to say, one who is spontaneously able to receive psychic impressions from other people, the environment, and through dreams.   Often, the impressions come so quickly and intensely that it is hard to put them into words.   Julia and I often collaborate in our healing work since together we are able to provide an often startlingly clear picture.

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