Frank Federico, renowned fine artist and teacher, passed away on July 30. He was 90 years old.  For almost two decades Frank was Fine Artist in Residence for Litchfield Jazz Festival. He created and curated the fest’s Art Exhibit and occupied a seat of honor upfront from which he sketched jazz artists live. Out of this came a large body of “jazz art” which he exhibited widely. Some of these images graced the front of the official Festival t-shirt annually. Today thousands of them are worn by jazz fans around the world.

Born in New Orleans, in 1928 he continued to visit and paint there long after he established his home in Connecticut. Frank worked in many mediums and he was internationally regarded for his watercolors and pastels. He was a 2013 Hall of Fame Honoree for the Pastel Society of America, received numerous awards over the years from them, including a posthumous award this year for an stunning work entitled Jinghan Wu – Boudoir. It received the Memorial Award for Uniqueness.

Frank’s paintings have been exhibited in places as far flung as Brunei, Stockholm and Tokyo. He conducted workshops at here and abroad, as well as teaching classes and giving demonstrations. He also wrote articles for art publications.

Frank was known as a colorist and was an advocate of “diversity in art”. He was greatly inspired by nature and its capriciousness. About his work he wrote”

“I believe that art is as capricious as nature’s own whims. It is as permanent as the endless striving for universal harmony, but in a constant flux. My technique is varied with mood and empathy for the subject matter or motif. Nature provides the catalyst – human or otherwise – with this constant flux of rhythms, shapes and boundless energy. Each painting speaks for itself and has a life of its own. I am the stoker of the energy, the catalyzer.“