'The artisan among us' – Frank L. Fonseca brings life to his craft
Frank disclosed that he takes himself away from his shop at the local Crafts Alive Village only when the ‘French ships’ are in port, and even then, he just leaves a little earlier than usual. This of course, has much more to do with the existing language barrier more than anything else.
According to Frank, persons need to understand what he is saying or selling, in order to be truly appreciative of his work and the craftsmanship that goes into it.
The self-taught craftsman, as a matter of course, takes immense pride in the products that he puts on his shelf at the Crafts Alive Village and any untrained eye can readily see the reason for this – his work is simply stupendous!
Each piece is carefully handcrafted, not like the Japanese products you see everywhere else, he said. “They might make about ten thousand at a time,” Frank said with a straight face. Buyers beware, however, the skilled craftsman said he only charges on Wednesdays for persons wishing to take photos of his work.
His favourite piece, and seemingly most expensive for the moment, is actually a combined effort between himself and artist, Joseph Hodge, aptly titled 'The Family'. The piece shows an intricate woodwork design of a family seated at what appears to be a dinner table with a painted backdrop of the ocean looking out from the Crafts Alive Village, as if it were from the window of their house. It might just be described as breathtakingly beautiful.
He also does some thought provoking pieces as well, a look around his shop offers a view into the window of the mind of a gifted craftsman. The concepts are varied and intriguing.
“Rueben Vanterpool usually paints for me,” Frank revealed, “but whenever he paints, I sell the stuff right away…” He also has a Bob Marley piece that is similarly attractive and sells like hot cakes once it hits the shelf.
Frank does most of his work from his shop at home and can often be seen peddling away for hours at his machine, a scroll saw, something he says he works on for hours. He only leaves it when his hands get tired, he disclosed, but his passion for doing his work often ensures that those instances are few and far between. “If you go on the machine and you want to come off, you’ll never make any money… I don’t want to come off… when people are watching tv, I’m having fun cutting these things.”
He demonstrated the process that went into making one of his pieces, a key chain that encompasses a map of Tortola fitted neatly into the centre of a dolphin. Whenever he demonstrates the process that goes into making them, he said, eight out of ten tourists tend to buy the item. “But I tell people, don’t put them up, they’re meant to be used,” he said with a laugh, “I have fun making my stuff man.”
Cedar, Mahogany and teak are numbered among the various types of wood that he works with. “Art – you like it, you buy it – and then you wait for the artist to die,” the craftsman said. It is then that you truly see how expensive the piece can be, according to Frank. “Artists don’t usually get paid for their work… the only time an artist gets paid for his work is when some millionaire buys his piece, and then all his friends say, ‘I wonder what he sees, I want one too’… from then on, his work is going to be expensive and he’s going to get them sold.”
“Those are not pencil [lines] you know, those are cut all the way through,” he explained about one of the many intricate pieces, “I usually make stuff… the more challenging, the more I want to do it to see if I can get it done, but I don’t get paid for most of my work.”
Anyone passing by Fonseca's shop can be sure to listen out for a bit of Fungi music also. There, the local artisan is always ready and waiting to explain his craft.
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