(b. 1963)From Poughkeepsie, New York, Frank Gardner followed his passion for painting until it eventually led him to Mexico. There he has resided since 1990, and he now lives in San Miguel de Allende with his wife and daughter. His formal painting education took place at Rhode Island School of Design in 1986, where he received his BFA. Now Gardner derives his inspiration from his Mexican surroundings, painting on location and in his studio. He also loves to travel and paint, especially in Cape Cod, Maine and Florida. His style adeptly captures his subjects’ moods and emotions, whether it be paintings of dramatic landscapes, colorful marketplaces or boats in a harbor. The combination of confident brushwork, dynamic compositions and lively color invokes true character in Gardner’s work.Gardner is drawn to the effect that fleeting light has on color. In his paintings, he strives to share this beauty by arranging bits of color to tell a story. Mostly, he tries to accurately represent the colors he sees, but sometimes he accentuates certain colors to convey the feeling of a particular scene. Gardner sometimes sacrifices detail in favor of loose spontaneity, letting the subject and mood determine how much detail is added. However, each stroke is thoughtfully placed to convey these feelings. Gardner’s work holds place in many fine collections across the United States, Mexico, Canada and Europe.
