Donato’s passion for narrative art has seen his work grace the covers of over three hundred science fiction and fantasy novels, placed in hundreds of private and public collections, and landed numerous peer honors including three Hugo Awards, two Gold and six Silver Medals from Spectrum: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art, the prestigious Hamilton King Award from the Society of Illustrators, and recognition from the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists with twenty-three Chesley Awards. Donato recognizes the significant cultural role played by art and makes personal efforts to contribute to the expansion and appreciation of genre works; to that end he serves as an instructor at the SmArt School, the Illustration Master Class, and lectures extensively at conventions and universities worldwide. His current projects include themed works for exhibition at fine art galleries, ongoing commercial assignments, book projects for J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth, and explorations on his developing themes of Empathetic Robots and astronauts.

Donato lives and works with his wife in Brooklyn, NY.