Having returned from an inspirational week at the Illustration Master Class in Amherst, I am dying to continue the work on a large panel I began as a demonstration there. Today I’ll lock the door of the studio and enjoy some time with Frodo, his orc torturer in Cirith Ungol, and a long session of Phillip Glass’ Koyaanisqatsi… I hope your day is as pleasurable!
Donato
In the Tower of Cirith Ungol: Prisoner
48″ x 36″
Oil on Panel
In Progress
This past month I have been posting on social media a collection of paintings, my Earth and Sea series. These works originally had been created for various projects from commercial book covers to gallery exhibitions to personal works which did not have initially any...
These past few years I have had the honor to interpret a classic fantasy trilogy from the 1990's, Tad William's Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series for Grim Oak Press. This trilogy culminates in the final massive tome To Green Angel Tower, and is so large it has...
In celebration of a new body of illustrated work for Grim Oak Press and the revarnishing of the epic canvas Beacons of Gondor, we will once again be welcoming visitors to our annual Open Studio in Brooklyn, New York. DONATO ARTS OPEN STUDIO 2025 Saturday September...
(With fist in air…) Damn, you. Damn you to heeelll! That foot and hand are just gorgeous! And I always enjoy seeing an artists workspace. My only question is where are the references? Keep up the great, inspirational work.
I was going to ask the same thing question as the above commenter. Do you not use reference once you start painting? I would think that you would have to to get this sort of result.
Love the dirty toenails!!!
If I was a woman, I would have your baby after seeing this painting.
So damn awesome!
Wow! Never thought I would drool over dirty toenails:)
Donato, my friend, that's an inspirational foot!
I sorely missed seeing you this year at IMC.
I hope it was fun.
Your work is getting pretty good, keep it up (Nyuk, nyuk).
I don't know how this post escaped my attention. After seeing the beginnings of this at IMC, I can't wait it's completion. I'm loving the zoom in on both this piece and your Joan of Arc. I feel as if I'm hiding in a corner of the tower, personally witnessing Frodo's mistreatment.
Donato,
This was a really inspiring post. Thanks for sharing.
It's lovely to know that Lord of the Rings and Koyaanisqatsi is a means of inspiration for other painters 🙂