Born in Budapest in 1946, Frank Licsko emigrated to Canada in 1957. Shortly after his arrival, he was shown a documentary about Canada’s Group of Seven. Their work being primarily landscapes, and quite different from the political and spiritual art he had been exposed to in the public squares and churches of Hungary, had great influence on him.
Painting professionally from the age of thirteen in Stratford, Ontario, his works were being collected before he graduated high school. He then attended the Ontario College of Art. Frank is one of the rare artists that has never worked outside of his art. At the age of twenty, he was commissioned to paint the portrait of the then US vice-president, Hubert Humphrey.
In the early 1970’s, he moved with his wife to the west coast of Canada, where she was raised. They settled on Salt Spring Island, where he found endless inspiration in the extraordinary surrounding scenery.
In the 1980’s, Frank was invited to California, and quickly became internationally known through the publishing of his limited edition prints. Ironically, many of his most famous images were inspired by British Columbia’s Gulf Islands .
He soon developed a following of collectors who appreciated his unique imagination, and his devotion to detail. Each work was a small masterpiece.
Licsko originals are included in collections all over the world such as Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, the Emperor Akihito of Japan, the Sultan of Brunei, late actor, Larry Hagman, corporate collections including Technicolor, and Tehama, Clint Eastwood’s luxury estate development company.
“I love to paint light, particularly light on water. I use traditional oils on linen or cotton canvas, and classical brush techniques. I do not use computers, or any other mechanical means to create my paintings.
I paint as much as twelve hours a day, happily willing to take the time necessary to achieve the vision I see.”
Licsko is represented exclusively on Salt Spring Island by Gallery 8.