Frank Bitonti ~ Sculptor ~ Quality and Affordable Sculptures
Frank was born in Italy in 1955. He arrived in Canada in 1956 via Pier 21 in Halifax, his family traveled from Halifax to Calgary by
train and has called Calgary home ever since.
Frank differentiates himself by carving with harder rock. He prefers to carve with Carrara Marble from Italy, Honeycomb Calcite from Utah, Serpentine Steatite from BC, and Anhydrite from BC and African Serpentine. And has specialized in tree sculptures since 2008.
In 2006 he began sculpting as a hobby after admiring an Invermere BC Artists Bear sculpture. He was fascinated with the way it
was carved and how powerful this rock looked in his hands. He located the Artist, who opened up the door to a whole new
experience for him. The Artist generously gave him a few pieces of rock to experiment with. Well, at that point he was hooked. The first rock he sculpted was a simple piece that looked like a hand on one side and a foot on the other, so he call it "Hand in Foot".
Once he got the hang of the power tools (Chisels, angle and die grinders, files, sanders, polishing wheels) the pieces he worked on became more detailed.
“It is truly uplifting when you can transform a raw piece of rock into an object of beauty”.
After a few years working with Anhydrite rock he attended a 5-day workshop that was put on by Chaka Chikodzi at the Saskatoon
Berry Farm outside of Calgary. The rock he chose to work with was African lemon opal from Zimbabwe. No power tools were used on this sculpture just chisels and rasps. His first soft stone carving was a Turtle, weighing 90 lbs with the dimensions of
24 x 18 x 8 inches. Working with the softer stone allowed him to put more detail in his sculptures. For him the best part of rock
sculpting is when you sand your treasure and see the colors come to life when you polish them. Every rock he works on is a little
different and always special in some way.
“I would recommend this hobby to anyone, it's a great escape it's easy to learn and truly rewarding”.
Frank is always out exploring for new rocks to sculpt with, and prides himself on continually looking to improve his sculptures and
finding new uses for the rocks he works with.
Contact Us
If you are looking for some sculptures please visit one of these locations: Or Contact me directly - fbitonti@shaw.ca
Village Arts in Invermere BC
Painted Moose in Bragg Creek, Alberta
Magnolia in Jasper, Alberta
Route 22 Cochrane , Alberta
What's keeping me busy ..... I'm working on a special commission
..... I've had numerous requests to repair broken Sculptures. I charge $35 per hr. Contact me if you require a quote to restore or repair your treasured piece.
..... Need to take a short break will be ready to make new stock in February 2020. Have some great ideas for some new sculptures. Pictures will follow.
Year round availability of One Penny Rock Sculpting product available at:
The Painted Moose. This new Gallery is located across the street from the mall in this small Hamlet . This Gallery is Artist owned and operated. Meet the artists join a workshop. Potter, Sculptor, Jewelers, Painter, Denim Art,Wool, Wood workers,
12 Balsam Ave. 403-880-1027
Facebook: The Studio & Gallery in Bragg Creek