Donato Giancola's oil paintings balance modern concepts with realism to bring life to his love of figurative arts.  Donato's work draws from  aspects of culture as varied as The Lord of the Rings to Persian manuscript illumination to classical oil painting techniques.  Donato makes personal efforts to contribute to the expansion and appreciation of the science fiction and fantasy genre that extend beyond the commissions of his clients.  He shares his passion for oil painting through teaching at the School of Visual Arts in New York City and appearing at various institutions, events and conventions.  From San Diego to Rome to Moscow, he performs demonstrations and lectures on his aesthetics. Current projects include themed works for exhibition at the Richard J. Demato Fine Arts Gallery, book projects on 'The Lord of the Rings', and ongoing commissioned assignments.

Donato was born in 1967 and raised in Vermont, USA.  Immediately after graduating Summa Cum Laude with a BFA in Painting from Syracuse University, Donato moved to New York City to immerse himself in the inspired and varied art scene found there.  Formative years in the early nineties were spent as the studio assistant to the preeminent figure painter Vincent Desiderio, and long days of study in the museums of New York. Donato's merits include the 2008 Hamilton King Award from the Society of Illustrators, nineteen Chesley Awards from the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists, three Artist Hugo Awards for outstanding professional work from the World Science Fiction Society, notable awards from the Art Renewal Center, and multiple silver and gold medals from the juried annual, Spectrum: The Best of Contemporary Fantastic Art.

Since beginning his professional career in 1993, Donato’s list of clients and collectors has grown to include major book publishers in New York to concept design firms on the West Coast.  Notables include The United Nations, LucasArts, Disney, National Geographic, US Postal Service, CNN, DC Comics, Microsoft, Wizards of the Coast, Scholastic, Simon&Schuster, Tor Books, Random House, Time/Warner, The SyFy Channel, Milton-Bradley, and Hasbro.

Donato lives in New York City with his wife and two children.