Visual Artist, Writer and Musician

Born in Bergen Op Zoom, The Netherlands, July 1928.

In 1941, at age 13, Frank began tuition with the well known local artist and designer Louis Weijts and W. V. Dort.

As a teenager Frank worked for a local advertising office and portrait painting business. He was also involved in building and painting floats for the yearly carnival parade and made decors for celebrations in Amsterdam.

In his late teens Frank worked for a ceramics studio on the Belgian border restoring paintings and statues.

At age 18 Frank commenced night classes at the Academy of Fine art in Belgium. On assessment of his work he was placed directly into the fourth year of a five year fine art degree where he continued into his sixth year – to gain his professorship.

When the studio where he worked closed in 1948, Frank could no longer afford to travel to Antwerp and was forced to leave six months short of achieving his professorship.

Frank then worked as a full time artist, exhibiting solo in Belgium and The Netherlands. During this time he painted prolifically and sold hundreds of paintings. Unfortunately there is no record of these works or to whom they were sold.

In 1950 Frank married Dimphina Melsen.

In 1956, with a growing family and expecting their third child, Frank began work at an aviation fabrication company, Aviolanda, where he painted the royal crown onto KLM planes as well as other sign writing.

In 1961 the family migrated to Australia where they struggled financially and emotionally for many years. Franks’ art practice suffered during this period as he was often unable to afford art materials. He was particularly frustrated by not having enough paint to use the palette knife technique.

Frank worked as a house painter and sign writer to support his family.

In 1972 he held a solo show at Shepparton Art Gallery. The gallery purchased two of his works that remain in their collection today.

Latrobe Art Gallery, Traralgon City Council and the Morwell art Gallery also hold Franks works.

Frank died in September of 1983 at 55 years of age from Mesothelioma as a result of his work in the aviation industry in The Netherlands.

In his lifetime he made hundreds of portraits, landscapes, still life paintings and sculptures that were purchased by art lovers from America, Canada, Belgium, The Netherlands and Australia.