Frank Sunseri was born in Stockton, California in 1950. His early interest in art was encouraged by his warm, Sicilian family in which there were many artists, musicians and craftsmen.
After serving four years in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War, he returned to Stockton to study art with Roque Barrera at Delta College and later with Angelo Grova at UC Santa Cruz.
In 1975, he began showing his original, welded metal sculptures in Monterey, Carmel, San Francisco and Sausalito. He assisted Carmel sculptor Malcolm Moran in creating many specialty commissioned sculptures. He also worked with Loet Van Derveen, Don Buby, Victor Zaikine and the Bennett Brothers. He has taught workshops on bronze patina application and stone carving.
In 2000, he turned his attention from sculpture to oil painting. Visits to museums in Florence, Venice, Paris and Antwerp inspired him to study the painting techniques of the Dutch and Italian Renaissance painters. He created a series of female nudes, using traditional oil-glazing techniques that are now in collections worldwide.
He is currently working on a series of still life paintings. He paints from life in a chiaroscuro style using an allaprima method with traditional, slow-drying oil paints.
Organizations - Awards - Galleries
Organizations:
Pacific Grove Art Center, 2001-2012, Studio Artist
Central Coast Art Association, current member
Monterey Peninsula Art Foundation, current member
Artists Equity Central Coast Chapter, 1996 and 2008
Carmel Art Association, current associate member
Awards:
2023 First Place, Central Coast Art Association
2022 2nd Place, City of Seaside, Avery Gallery
2021 3rd Place, City of Seaside, Avery Gallery
2019 Honorable Mention, Central Coast Art Association
Galleries: (partial listing)
Monterey Peninsula Art Foundation Gallery (2022-2023)
Pacific Grove Art Center Studio/Gallery (2001-2012)
John O. Thomson Gallery, Monterey (1997-2003)
Smith/Cosby Gallery, Carmel (1998-1999)
Sunseri Gallery, Pacific Grove (2003-2005)
Highlands Gallery - Carmel (1985-1994)
Christopher Bell Collection - Monterey (1997-1998)