Angelo John Grado is a painter and teacher whose primary mediums are oil and pastels, which he uses for painting a variety of subject matter such as portraits, still life and landscapes. The love and excitement for him is in the painting process, and for the actual aesthetics of applying the pigment paint or pastel to the canvas or board, without regard for subject matter. His paintings are in the private collections of the National Academy of Design in New York City, throughout the United States, Canada, England, Norway, Italy, Virgin Islands and the Philippines.

Grado always seemed to be drawing as a child, and could be seen making pencil profile drawings of anyone who would pose for him. Norman Rockwell was his idol, and whenever a Saturday Evening Post magazine cover would reproduce a "Rockwell" painting, it was carefully cut out and saved. This practice started during the nineteen-thirties and today Grado has one of the largest Norman Rockwell tear sheet collections in the country. Grado was born in New York City and his professional career began as an Art Director and eventually owner of his own advertising agency, Angelo John Associates. Although successful in his career, he always felt that something seemed to be missing. When he was about thirty-five years old, that "missing something" became a desire to paint pictures.

He decided that he would take a one-year sabbatical to fulfill this artistic need, but needless to say, that one-year only whetted his appetite for painting. Even though he had three children and his wife was with child, Grado decided to proceed with a career in painting. It was then that he attended his first painting class at the Art Students League. While in his first year as a student, he was accepted to exhibit at the National Academy of Design and after exhibiting several times with the American Watercolor Society, he was elected a full member of that society, just two years after his studies began. He continued his study at the National Academy of Design, winning a bronze medal, and later at the Frank Reilly School of Art. During this time he also continued his freelance art career to support his growing family. Most of these years meant working more than eighty-five hours a week, but he was painting, exhibiting, and consistently winning prizes in many national exhibitions. In 1972 he discontinued all commercial work and devoted his full time efforts to painting. The next few years were spent learning all phases of the business of making pictures, which included all forms of abstract art in addition to realistic painting.

Today, Angelo John Grado continues to live, and has his studio, in Brooklyn, New York with his wife Justine.