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Frank Cannas
Brief Bio

Frank Cannas a New Yorker was born in the Bronx in 1936 of Italian immigrants. His father was from the island of Sardinia and his mother from the Abruzzi region of Italy.Frank remembers at six years old when his father caught him drawing on the side of his mother's dresser with a straight pin. Instead of reprimanding him. He gave Frank a piece of paper and pencil and said "This is where you draw -not on the furniture."


Frank graduated from the school of Visual Arts' illustration program in 1958 and apprenticed with the Illustrators Group where he met Illustrators Tony Kokinos, Roy Anderson, Guy Deel, among others. He then worked as staff artist for Ross art studio's . Then from 1960 to 1967 he was a staff artist for the Equitable life Insurance Company. Frank spent 1967 to 1971as a freelance illustrator producing illustrations for book covers, text books, ads, magazines. and childrens books
 one book ( Ten Trained Bears) can still be baught since 1969. He worked for publishers such as Dell Books, Holt Reinhart & Winston, Harcort Brace & world, Western Printing, McGrawHill, Rutledge Books, RC Gibson Co., and Random House.

From 1971 to 1997, Frank worked at Philip Morris Companies Inc,'art Department, Illustrating full Color posters for the companies many sponsored sports events, such as womens Tennis, U.S open Tennis, Marlboro Horse racing, Formula 1 Racing, Sail Boat racing, Bike Racing, and Motorcross. he was also commissioned to do portraits of Don Budge (the first triple crown winner) and Virginia Wade for the Tennis Hall of fame,

Frank began Exhibiting while still fully employed in 1981. In 1992 The Artist Magazine Featured Franks work with the cover and an article about hard and soft edges, in painting. In 1996 he retired and now he paints for his own Pleasure and for his  studios. Fine art is his way of life, and he paints piein-aire or in his studio at home. He has won over 20 awards in nationaly juried exhibitions and he is  also a member of the board of the Hudson valley Art association.