Hank Funk is a well known Western Artist living in British Columbia and a member of the Federation of Canadian Artists (FCA). The fascination of horses and the free spirited TV cowboy became his heros while growing up in the small Fraser Valley town of Abbotsford. The Fraser Valley, located in southern BC, offered the best of all worlds and gave Hank the perfect environment to play out all of his imaginations; living only one hour from the Pacific Ocean and two hours from the Tumbleweed Deserts of the Central Interior. When asked if he would ever consider moving he said, “never”.
Although a pure breed Canadian, Hank spends much of his time traveling throughout the United States. Americans also love their history and show great appreciation to Artists who are dedicated to keeping the west alive. He enjoys his trips while doing research through New Mexico, Montana, Arizona and Washington along with the neighboring province of Alberta, the cowboy capital of Canada.
The charm of those TV westerns that Loui Lamour wrote about fueled my Red Neck, fast gun hero ego that somehow has to be expressed in most of my paintings. I continually paint to express the Red Neck in me. The bright primary colours of my pallet speak boldly of the, don’t hold anything back attitude”. On the back of Hanks Motorhome you’ll see the words, “don’t fence me in”, along with the silhouette of a cowboy heading into the distance, just another opportunity to express himself.
“I try to create an expression in my paintings and if they can speak to the viewer and evoke an emotion, I feel I’ve succeeded and become the voice of their inner being”. Sometimes I wonder if my art is a blessing or a curse; it appears fulfilling, continually urging me forward but never letting me rest”.
Hank was born in Manitoba in 1948 and shortly after moved to Abbotsford, British Columbia. At a very young age Hank would be seen sketching the faces of close friends while sitting in church or as a passenger in the car. Drawing cartoons and sketching the likeness of people occupied every spare minute of his time. Although sketching and design came naturally for Hank he continued his quest for knowledge and studied Art at Vancouver Technical Institute.
At nineteen years of age he started his own commercial sign and silk screening company. During this time he also painted murals on commercial buildings and store fronts; designed and painted graphics on Airplanes and Motor Homes; silk-screened many signs for the Abbotsford Air Show and National Real Estate companies.
Among many other retail operations that he has given birth to, Hank is the President and Founder of Cap-itŪ, a Franchise chain of Truck Accessory Stores in Canada. Although Hank may be known more for his contribution to the Retail Industry, his first love has always been Art and Design. The influence of an artist friend helped Hank to begin his late career in painting as an artist in 1995.
Biography
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BIOGRAPHY