SAL BARRACCA was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1947. He studied painting and illustration at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan. He went on to work as a commercial illustrator and teacher. He later became an Art Director, working for companies such as Avon Books, Ladies' Home Journal and Bantam Books. After years of working with illustrators from an Art Director's perspective, he decided to become an illustrators' agent. He enjoyed developing new talent and working with the artists to create illustrations for the publishing and advertising industries.

Along with his wife Debra, a graphic designer, he created another company called Halcyon Books. They worked with various artists and writers to create children's books, among them a Lullabye book and a Children's Bible. Wanting to write their own book, they came up with "The Adventures of Taxi Dog", published by Dial Books in 1990. This turned into a four-book series, which Sal also designed and art-directed. The series has won numerous awards, and was featured on television programs, including PBS' "Reading Rainbow".

All the while, Sal never let go of his first love, which is fine art. He has always painted in his free time, and has been showing his work in galleries for the past four years. In New York, he exhibited at the Village Gallery of Katonah and Northern Westchester Center for the Arts. Sal moved to Bethlehem, Ct. in 2001. He was immediately captivated with the beauty of the Litchfield Hills and nearby Berkshires, finding a wealth of inspiring scenes along every country road. He keeps his camera with him at all times, ready to capture the incredible images to re-create in his paintings

He shows his work on a regular basis at the Lenox Gallery in Lenox, MA, including a one-man show entitled, "Berkshire Memories" in November, 2003. His work appears in the P.S. Gallery in Litchfield, Ct. Connecticut group shows include The 550 Gallery in Bethlehem, The Washington Art Assn., and two Watertown Art League shows-- one in Woodbury, and a juried show held at Teikyo Post University in Waterbury.

Sal paints landscapes in oil on canvas. He uses a palette knife to achieve lush, textural effects.

September 2003