Who is Frank Ferrante?

Artist Statement

When it happens- one experiences a sense of revelation, joy and a curiosity that begs for closure. One feels in touch with another level — “focused” and swept up with the moment at hand. When the “creative” process calls- a painter accepts the challenge and passes from one place to another.

The passing from one place to another expresses my feeling when capturing the drama of nature with oil paints. Working outdoors affords me the opportunity to carefully study color and light while capturing the fleeting elements in time.

When I paint outdoors, I witness an orchestration of these elements, akin to what a conductor experiences with an orchestra. I struggle with that ever-changing light, color, mood and atmosphere of the composition (painting), from the Richard Wagner grays of a foggy day to the crisp and sunny yellows of a John Philip Sousa March.

Painting is risk-taking and with this challenge comes vision, hope and development. Honest about my paintings and emotional about the content, I can feel the bitter cold in my fingers on a snowy winter morning, the dampness of the ocean mist against my face, and the sun baking on my back while struggling with the mood and subtle atmospheric changes of the painting.

I strive to stay open-minded while expanding my growth, knowledge, and skills in my quest to be a successful artist.

Artist’s Biography

PLEIN AIR AND STUDIO OIL PAINTER/TEACHER Frank Ferrante, graduated from Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey and the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts where he concentrated his studies in fine art, design and composition. Ferrante started teaching plain air and studio painting in 1993. Prior to that he began his creative career producing educational programs for industry and spent many years in the fine arts, advertising, and marketing communications industries.

PAINTING BACKGROUND AND EDUCATION... Ferrante celebrated his fifty-year, oil painting anniversary in 2016. It was not until later in his career, while studying oil painting (for over twenty years) with John P. Osborne, at the Ridgewood Art Institute, Ridgewood NJ, that Ferrante decided to concentrate his oil painting skills on traditional painting techniques... based on methods handed down from John’s teacher’s teacher, the American Impressionist painter, Frank Vincent DuMond. The circa. 1880 “prismatic palette” handed down from past teachers, is used by Ferrante in all his paintings and a simplified version is used when instructing his students. It was during the 1980’s in his year’ round (plein air) oil painting sessions that Ferrante began devoting all his efforts to capturing the prismatic flow from shadow to light, atmosphere, weather and time of day. These quick oil sketches form the basis for most of his larger studio paintings.

GALLERIES AND ASSOCIATIONS Ferrante has participated in many regional shows and has won many top awards. His paintings have hung in galleries throughout the United States including New Jersey, Colorado, Pennsylvania, California, Florida, North Carolina and are in many private collections. As of December 1, 2023, Ferrante will be displaying his paintings at the Ancient City Art Gallery, St. Augustine, Florida. He moved to Florida, from New Jersey in 2011 and taught at the Art League of Daytona Beach and The HUB on CANAL, New Smyrna Beach. He has been associated with The Allied Artists of America, NY; the New Jersey En Plein Air Artists; The Community Arts Association, NJ; the Ringwood Manor Association of the Arts, the American Artist Professional League Inc. Salmagundi Club, NY., and The Artist’s Workshop, New Smyrna Beach.

He served on the Board of Directors, at The Ridgewood Art Institute, Ridgewood, NJ., The American Artist Professional League, Inc. Salmagundi Club, New York and is presently serving on the board at The HUB on Canal, New Smyrna Beach, FL., where he is a studio artist.