Armanda Balsamo, who lives and works in San Francisco, CA, was born in 1954 in Torino, Italy. After graduating with a M.S. in Architecture from the Politecnico di Torino, she began her career in Italy at a Product Design Firm, and then moved to Pubblisintesi, a leading Italian advertising agency, where she served as Art Director. Only after moving to the US she was able to paint full time.