About
Don Romanelli has been creating since the early 1960s. Between raising a family with his wife Betsy (shown at left with Don) and starting a successful advertising agency, Don has painted compelling works in landscape, still life and more, with a unique style that captures the essence of a subject in strong, bold strokes. He grew up in Central New York, and has made homes in Northern New York and Florida as well, finding rich, inspiring material for his work in these beautiful regions.
As a young man, Don found himself drawn to the works of Van Gogh and Picasso, reducing complex forms to simple, textured shapes and using space to create implied form. The powerful beauty he sees beneath his subjects informs his sharp edges and intense colors, all reflections of his emotional landscape.
After graduating from Syracuse University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design with a minor in painting, he worked for several agencies as a designer and illustrator before opening his own shop. Don’s work relied heavily on visual elements, and his work over those years reveals his growing talent for balancing form, color and visual attention in his commercial design.
Since retiring from his agency in 2002, Don has made painting his passion (second only to his family), and refined his distinctive personal style.