The Bio & CV

I, Rodney Alan Francett, was born in Easton, Pennsylvania August 9, 1953. Very briefly, what stands out in my mind as the most significant things of a formational character are always having two loving parents caring for me, always living in the country, moving around a fair bit (from Harmony, N.J. to Rigglesville, Pa. to Moosic, Pa. to Queensbury, N.Y. I cannot overstress the significance to me of having loving parents who were harmonious, united, fun-loving and sacrificial for our benefit, who taught us (I have four brothers) freedom, kindness and love for nature. There was never a hint of prejudice in their words or behaviour.

My mother worked in restaurants and later in N.Y. became head of the Middle School cafeteria. My mother's human qualities of fun, cheerfulness and practicality are among the things I have gleaned from her. My father worked for TWA until he took on a job as a flight traffic controller. His work was the reason we moved around so much. But on his spare time, he painted and sketched. He, too, was a positive soul and I got from him, among other things, my love for sports, the outdoors and art. He, unfortunately passed away February 1, 2006. I still want to make them both proud.

When I was studying at Middlebury College, Vermont, I discovered and accepted the Bah�'� Faith. Along with the environment provided for me in my childhood, this has been one of the two most significant factors in the development of the way I think and feel about life. Briefly, it brought me the awareness that the unity of mankind in a progressive, united community of open-minded, unprejudiced people from all races, creeds and nations is more than possible. It instills me with the certitude that despite the foreboding signs of the times, for mankind and the planet, the best is still to come.

As long as I can remember, my life was filled with art: the books, the sketching and the painting. My brothers and I all drew, very actively. Dad would bring home paper from the teletype machines at work and we'd fill it all with drawings of birds, airplanes and whatnot. Dad was a lover of Van Gogh's work, so the works of the impressionists and expressionists filled my consciousness. Color has always been the most important factor in art for me. When I became a Bah�'�, I got to know the works and lives of three significant western, Bah�'� artists: Mark Tobey, Bernard Leach and Reginald Turvey. Tobey's style, it's ethereal nature, light and spirituality, has been the most important for me in the development of my own style.

Below is my cv, for those interested in viewing the course of my education, employment and art career.