Doris Rampolla Interview – Frank Rampolla

Frank Through The Lens of Fellow Artists

Listen as Ron Rampolla interviews his mother, Doris Rampolla (wife of Frank Rampolla). This interview clip is quite special for two reasons:

  1.  it captures a remarkable story about the intuition of Frank Rampolla when he painted;
  2.  it captures Doris before she suffered a major stroke that prevents her from speaking today.

Doris was pioneer in preserving the artwork, collecting newspapers and stories of Rampolla’s legacy.

Many of Frank Rampolla’s students are just as fond of Doris as they are of Frank. She is a special lady if we may say so, but perhaps we are a bit biased 😉

 

 

 

 

STUDENTS OF FRANK RAMPOLLA – CANDY GARRETT

Students of Frank Rampolla
STUDENTS OF FRANK RAMPOLLA – CANDY GARRETT

STUDENTS OF FRANK RAMPOLLA – Candy Garrett



1.) What year did you study with Frank Rampolla and what was the title of the class?

I never took a class with him. I was introduced to him as a model for his drawing class. I worked for him as a model at USF from 1970 -1971. I also worked for him for his Intaglio class at USF to help him.

2.) What  do you remember about Frank Rampolla? What sticks out in your memory about him?

I remember him having lunch with a Tony and they both had lunch made for them they brought from home, but he would send me off to the machines to get a sausage biscuit for him. He would eat the sausage and biscuit but would give me the biscuit top. At the time I didn’t know he wasn’t supposed to eat these because of his health.

On the weekends I would meet him there at the art department in Intaglio & Litho Department. He would give me the key to open up the Ceramic Department (the medium I worked in).

He would trade me my pieces for his artwork.

As a model I remember having to hang still as he drew for about 30 minutes to 1 hour. It wasn’t so bad in summer but during the winter it was very cold because there wasn’t a heater.

He would have classical music playing as he drew.

During this time, he’d have about 4 pieces done.

3.) How were you influenced by Frank Rampolla’s teachings or his artwork?

Frank really liked my artwork. He influenced me in my ceramics. I would hand build. It would never be square or flush. It was off kilter. Seeing his work influenced me to be loose and a bit bizarre. He always encouraged me and kept wanting more of my stuff to trade.

Which makes sense because my ceramics looked similar to his artwork. They were kind of dark.

When I heard he died, I was so upset and depressed that I cut my hair real short.

I now draw and make jewelry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Sindelir Interview – Frank Rampolla

Frank Through The Lens of Fellow Artists, Uncategorized

Robert Sindelir  Interview – Frank Rampolla

 

This is a short clip from our interview with Robert Sindelir  about his friendship with Frank Rampolla. We are blessed with friendships like these and for the memories and stories shared.

The audio quality is not the best but the stories are treasures. Here Robert Sindelir  mentions why Frank painted what he did. The asnwer might surprise you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiore Custode – Gallery Talk at Selby Gallery for Frank Rampolla Exhibit

In The News

Watch clips as Fiore Custode presents a Gallery Talk at Selby Gallery for the Frank Rampolla Exhibit

Those who attended learned:

  • personal stories about when he lived and taught in Sarasota
  • the affect he had in the Tampa Bay Community as an artist
  • why Frank Rampolla painted the images he did & why he was so passionate to produce so much work
  • commentary on the artwork displayed in this exhibit
  • followed by a Q & A

Visit this exhibit, Performance of the Visual: The Return of Frank Rampolla, until August 8th, 2014 at the Selby Gallery at Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, FL.

 

To learn more about Fiore Custode, visit his website here.