North Fort Myers artist sparks conversation on challenging conventions

Whether it's a machine meant for the open road or a melody meant to travel through air, Sonny Romano has always been drawn to things that move."Once I got a bike, I never wanted to be on four wheels again in my life," said Sonny.That's because for Sonny, creating isn't confined to just one lane."I've kind of been an artist for a while, I guess you could say that," said Sonny.Sonny's not just chasing beauty or expression, but originality and innovation."I feel like I'm just scratching the surface of this," said Sonny. "When I finally got it going, I was kind of obsessed with it."It started eight years ago."I was building some guitars, and I wasn't really doing art," said Sonny. "I saw somebody do something like this online and I tried it. I was like, well, this is very cool." Using two spark plugs, his amp box, and a little electricity, Sonny started burning portraits into plywood."I did Gene Simmons from KISS, and I'm like, OK, I got this," said Sonny.As any artist can attest, risk-taking is part of the process."I've had some really close calls. I've gotten electrocuted and knocked out cold doing this before," said Sonny.He's not interested in playing it safe, but in challenging conventions."If it's been done before, I'm not very interested in it," said Sonny. "I like to do my own thing."Sonny proves that, when it comes to art, there's no one right way, and pushing the boundaries of what's possible?That's electric.DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.