EXTRACTS: Illustrators issue 11 © 2015 The Book Palace (96 pages PAGES in Full edition)

8 Upon graduation, he decided to move to New York. For him, it was a logical choice as it brought him within the orbit of other artists and most importantly it was where Barracca Associates, an artist representative, was located. Giancola had flagged himself up to both Sal Barracca and his partner art director Joe Curcio at a Syracuse University portfolio review held for graduating students. A follow up interview had taken place at the agency’s New York office and, although Sal considered Giancola’s work a little too raw to start representing him immediately, he saw great potential. It was under Sal’s encouragement that Donato commenced building up a folio of sufficiently professional looking work to attract the attention of Sal’s clients, who were primarily New York-based publishers specialising BELOW: 'Lancelot and Guinevere'. 18" x 22", oil on panel 2004. RIGHT: 'Waiting'. 48" x 36", oil on panel, 2010. A haunting melancholia informs much of Giancola's work—his brush delineates a world of star-crossed lovers and doomed trysts, set in a sea of foreboding, illumined by faltering sun shafts.