Artist: John Donato
John Donato Gallery Inspired by the many jellyfish stinging their way along the eastern seaboard last summer. Inspired by the many children and adults that visited me at the shows throughout 2009 telling me of their favorite summer books. Detail "Summer Reading" Inspired by a rescued Greyhound I met with his new adopted owner in Dewey Beach, Delaware. This was a racing dog that was scheduled to be put down afetr it was no longer useful on the racetrack. The adoptive owner gave him a new lease on life. They both looked very happy. This painting is a dreamscape in which the bluebird visits him to inspire him to endure his racing pain long enough for a miracle to save him. “Mickey Lonboards” (2008) was inspired by a scruffy little stray cat that passed by my tent during a boardwalk “JD Piglet” was inspired by a real piglet that nearly died by drowning, hypothermia and “Frankie Fish” “Frankie Fish” (2008) was inspired by a little fish I spotted in Belize while snorkeling for Whale Sharks. “Ansley's Dragonfly” “Ansley's Dragonfly” (2008) I started this painting in 2002 and put it aside for later. 6 years later I decided to “Blue Crab” “Blue Crab” (2008) was inspired by the crab outings of my youth. I used to crab using a string tied to a “3 Little Ladies” (2008) was inspired by an effort to rid our garden of Aphids. We bought about 500 ladybugs online “Bonjour” “Bonjour” (2008) was inspired by memories of Sea Monkeys I used to buy in the back of MAD Magazines and other “Fat Cat” (2008) was inspired by 2 pear-shaped mother and daughter cats with seemingly “Gator” “Gator” (2008) was inspired by many trips to Florida to visit my In-Laws. The communities there "Flying Pigs” came to me while kayaking in
“Rocketworm” “Lone Buzzard” was part of a series of creations inspired by a luminous evening landscape “Piggy” was one of my first serious expressions of animal self-actualization. "Ladybugs” was inspired by a friend who proposed to another good friend at a I always thought pigs flying space craft would be fun so I painted it. I try not to over think “Rocket man” was the third in series of five paintings where I investigated the relationship of I watched cats cough up a hairballs all my life. It seems uncomfortable for the cat but at Contact Artist
"Closeout"
Big day, Big waves, plenty to go around.
"Cowabunga"
A cow, a bluebird and a great wave. Inspired by a real cow named "Opey"
He was a rescued veal calf that lived out his life at Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, NY.
Opey passed away in 2009 and I was inspired to capture his wonderful personality. I put him on a long board because I think that would have been his style. Grooving along in his classic Iron-Cross stance...who would dare drop in on him?
The blue bird visits him in his sleep, inspiring him to endure his dismal, abusive life as a veal calf in the hopes that he would someday make it to a better life...Opey did. Namaste Opey.
“Jo Jo Jellyfish”
“Summer Reading”
“Detail Summer Reading”
“Detail Summer Reading”
“Detail Summer Reading”
“Detail Summer Reading”
Detail "Summer Reading"
“Grey's Dream”
“Mickey Longboards”
show in Ocean City, NJ. I had already started painting a Rhino when a gentleman named Mike stopped to look at my
canvas as I painted. I stopped and asked him, "Should I paint this Rhino or a Cat I just met holding this board?"
He said "Paint The Cat Dude." I went with the old retro suit for the narly little wiskered feline. I loaded a lot of color into this one because Mike mentioned he liked a lot of color. My kinda guy; thanks "Mickey" from Ocean City!
“JD Piglet”
Winner! "Peoples Choice" Milton Arts & Crafts Festival 2008
starvation to escape the horror of a slaughterhouse. Eventually the little piglet made it to a
peaceful existence with other rescued food industry animals on a heavenly animal shelter in
Watkins Glen,
same nickname) I was inspired to write his story. I used as much intense color as I could in this painting to
portray the energyand exuberance you feel when in the presence of this little blessing. This painting is
probably the 4th painting in a series of 10 that I will create of this little rapscallion.
In the awe-crazed minutes we had observing one the largest most beautiful fish on the planet I seemed to grab
the attention of a crazy looking little fish with big eyes and a huge mouth. He was fast and kept following me
within safe range. I couldn't quite make out exactly what he looked like so I elaborated. But I do remember
his smile; I can only hope he remembers mine.
finish it off. At another beach show a lttle girl named Ansley stopped and commented how much she loved the flower.
I asked her what she would like to see on the flower and she said a Dragonfly. Luckily there were many
buzzing around that day. I added the ladybug because they kept landing on the canvas as I painted.
chicken wing and a net. The object was to slowly pull up the bait and try to net the little bugger before he saw you.
More times than not they got away. And I always remember how they would scuttle diagonally to the bottom,
claws set to block, then disappear into some sea grass leaving only a trail of the bubbles I kicked up with the net.
Nowdays I just admire them as they cleanup the bay - I don't eat them.
“3 Little Ladies”
and they were delivered to us in the mail. We put them in the garden one Friday afternoon and figured it would take
a few days before we saw results; it was a slaughter! The ladybugs ran up and down the branches like
Pacman and gobbled up all the Aphids in about 90 minutes. When the aphids were gone the ladybugs still searched
and as they bumped into each other they seemed to pause, greet eachother, then turn and go the other way. That is the moment I wanted to capture. After a day they all seemed to fly off to other gardens to clean them up.
I highly recomend this method for Aphid infestations.
crazy comic books. I thought I was doing them a favor by putting a guppy or two in the bowl to keep them company.
Recently during a visit to Washington DC I saw a retro-styled advertisement that reminded me of the old
Sea Monkey ads; the rest of the story is pigment and canvas.
“Fat Cat”
similar insecurity issues. The holiday lit apartment in
harbored little natural light except for one window which was well-suited for their reclusive nature.
When I passed by at night I could just make out the fig-shaped cats with massively large eyes
plopped cautiously out of range of the streaming moonlight. I painted this with the intent of capturing their internal
conflict; the reliance on sedentary safety vs their instinctive inquisitive urges to seek new information as to what is
happening around them. It seemed as if their eyes were expanding to compensate for the fear which kept them
from seeing more. In the end I painted one cat combining physical characteristics from both.
had ponds dotted all thoughout the landscape where alligators tend to frequent. In the evening when the
moonlight was positioned right I could make out the alligators rigid backlines. Sometimes I could even see the outline
of their protruding eyes. I always wondered if in the darkness they ever met up with other critters so tough that even a gator would not mess with him. I imagined they would meet, acknowledge each other and move on their way.
“Flying Pigs”
afternoon and gnats were swarming all about the grassy areas. Even though the swarm
seemed chaotic I knew that there was probably a pattern as everything in nature
has a pattern if you look close enough and long enough I visualized what the pattern would
look like if they were pigs swarming instead of gnats and this was what materialized.
“Rocketworm”) was an idea that came to me as I was observing pinholes of light from beneath
a large pile of leaves which I had buried myself under. As I looked out beyond the leaves
I began pondering the cool, damp underground existence of a worm. Eventually my thoughts led me through
a storyboard of how a worm might break its underground confines through determination and creative genius.
The story is writtenin such a way that I have been inspired to create a series of paintings to follow the
first (actually the 4th in the story board) in order to tell the complete tale.
“Lone Buzzard”
in
evening the stars seemed to sparkle like old-school holiday lights. Each encompassed
a rainbow of colors shining so bright they seemed to dwarf everything - even the expansive desert.
Lone Buzzard symbolizes human duality - a personally intimate and joyous event
with the slight anxiety one could experience when absorbed by a beautiful moment without
the ability to share it with another.
“Sea Turtle”
“Sea Turtle” was actually inspired by the color green. One evening, while watching a documentary
on green sea turtles, I became enamored with them and decided to render their
peaceful existence as “Buddha’s of the Sea”. But even though I was thinking green, I was felt compelled to
paint them with hot orange, red and yellow to reflect the vibrant yet calming energy they radiate as they effortlessly
glide through the sea. I kept having reoccurring visualizations of one passing by me
underwater over and over again for days until I finally painted this.
“Piggy”
Like “Sea Turtle” and “JD Piglet” the natural color of a piglet did not seem to
project the inner energy and exuberance of a piglet.
I found myself expressing his outlook with hot yellows, oranges and reds with a
wild-eyed illustrative rendering of a little pig with a heart filled with deep blue skies for
he does value himself as humans would expect; he perceives himself as an
equal entitled to the same joyous existence and harmony as humans.
“Lady Bugs”
cathedral the hilly town
mutual friend) my buddy was so nervous because he was carrying this ring throughout
I remember watching as they came out of the cathedral. He had just proposed and
it felt like that moment when ladybugs reach the tip of your fingers and ready for flight.
That split second when you know it is coming - they freeze, the shell case splits and well hidden
wings carry them off with a beautiful flutter. This painting holds that moment.
“Surfer”
“Surfer” was my first surf painting. An avid surfer for most of my life this painting reminds me
of that moment when you walk up the beach and assess the wave situation. On a
particularly big day you have to time your entry. This day at Indian River Inlet in
was particularly large. I got pummeled a few times but I caught a few sweet
ones too. This always reminds me of nature's
“Pigs in Space”
or over work a concept because often you lose that edge if it is over-polished.
I guess it worked because both kids and adults love this fun little scene.
“Rocket man”
man with his machines. Rocket man was inspired by the cold war space race where
fear and aggression led to the birth of some amazing innovation.
This work touches on our compulsion with space travel and our the evolutionary convergence
of our being with machines we create?to realize our vision.
“Indian River 98”
Indian River Inlet on a beautiful September day. I took off that Friday to "smell the roses".
This painting captures a moment where I just stopped to take in the beauty of the ocean.
The waves were powerful, smooth and rythmic with a slight off shore breeze; the water was still warm
and the sun was hot. I surfed about six hours straight - a perfect day.
“Hairball”
the same time very amusing to me because I know they will live through it.
“Groove-Fly”
“Groove-Fly" lure. I used to practice casting a fly lure for hours in my driveway.
I never actually caught fish; I simply enjoyed the rhythmic and meditative motion of fly casting.
Somewhere in that meditative state I began to visualize the process from
the dizzying perspective of the fly lure.
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