Sculptors Biography

Frankie Kangas was 9 years old when she saw a showing of the works of Michangelo in a museum. She recalls "I was hooked on sculpture from the day I set eyes on his work. From then on I dreamed of someday working in clay and creating pieces like his. Why clay? I don't know. All I know is that all of my life, I've imagined myself working with clay."

But Frankie spent the first half of her life building a successful business career in Silicon Valley. At age of 48 Frankie retired from business, moved to Fort Bragg, and began taking art classes at the College of the Redwoods. Her initial training in sculpture gave Frankie the opportunity to work with a variety of media: wood, stone, wire, wax, bronze, cement and clay. Frankie found that working with clay was her true vocation, turning vision into reality.

She explains, "Working with clay satisfies some deep tactile sense in me. I've found I do my best work when I can include both additive and subtractive modes, which insn't possible with many other media. I like being able to push and pull, pinch and twist -- to manipulate the clay into whatever shape I want at any time I want."

Frankie's sculptures incorporate a variety of finishing techniques -- raku, saggar, horsehair, stains and underglazes, plus both low-fire and high-fire glazes. Most of Frankie's work is either abstract garden sculpture or stylized animal figures, including lions, bears and "fu dogs" (Chinese temple lions).

Frankie donates 10% of her sculpture sales to the National Wildlife Federation to help save Polar Bears from extinction and the other endangered wildlife species. She also donates 10% of her Internet sales to Big Cat Rescue.

For information on how you too can help wildlife -- especially endangered species -- you will find both organizations listed in Resources.