It was then that his love and appreciation of classical figurative art took hold. 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. Immediately after graduating Summa Cum Laude with a BFA in Painting from Syracuse University in 1992, Donato moved to New York City to immerse himself in the inspired and varied art scene. At the age of twenty Donato enrolled in his first formal art class, the beginning of his professional training. His love of imaginative play dominated his childhood, both indoors and out. Take a peek for yourself, and and then take the plunge and pick up one or more of these books for your permanent collection (permanent, for once you hold one, very likely you will treasure it forever!)īorn in 1967 and raised in Colchester, Vermont, USA, art was always a hobby for Donato as a young man, he would steal away into the basement of his parents' home to work on drawings, create his own maps for the game Dungeons & Dragons, paint figurines, read comics, and construct model tanks and dinosaurs. Inking, color, line weight, lighting, movement, character expression,… the list is endless on what is ‘great’ in all of this art. His dynamic sense of composition and page layouts keeps the story fluidly flowing, while enticing you to stop, smell the flowers, and take in all the visual integrity he embeds within each and every panel.

Thoughtfully designed and passionately presented, David celebrates the natural world in all its detail and sensitivity – unforgiving weasels, blood thirsty owls, and comraderic turtles and rabbits. Page after page of these graphic novels lead you into a wonderfully convincing, historically deep culture. The stories are not only highly compelling and entertaining, but David’s visual wizardry sits at the pinnacle of narrative mastery. For those of you have yet to discover these graphic novels and games, David brings us into the complex and beautiful world of intelligent mice and their navigations through social, political, and personal upheavals as they forge their lives in a harsh natural world. Today we celebrate the brilliance of David Petersen and his epic creation, Mouse Guard.

Mouse guard petersen