AWARD CHOICE A STROKE OF GENIUS by Andy Newport, THE PAISLEY DAILY EXPRESS 15th September 2007

Artist now knows he can bank on his talent

By Andy Newport

A young artist's face was a picture after he walked away with a top business award and a £600 cash boost.

Frank To, founder of F. To Fine Art, was all smiles after her beat the business talents of Paisley's best young start- ups to win the 2007 regional final of the Prince's Scottish Youth Business Trust (PSYBT) and The Royal Bank of Scotland Business Awards

Frank, 25, decided he wanted to become a full- time artist in 2005 having completed his Masters in Fine Arts at Duncan of Jordanstone Art School in Dundee.

With support from PSYBT, in his first year of being self employed, Frank took part in more than 30 exhibitions, with some of his works being exhibited alongside Britain's best contemporary artists from the 20th century.

Counting Star Trek actor Patrick Stewart among his clients, Frank is commanding premium prices for his works which are becoming much sought after, both in the U.K and in the States.

The awards ceremony, which took place at Scottish Enterprise Renfrewshire, was attending and supported by RBS banking manager George Kenney, who presented Frank To with the £600 cheque.

He will now be considered by the judging panel to go forward for the national final in Glasgow in November.

Six of the 18 regional winners will be selected to compete for the coveted national title of PSYBT and Royal Bank of Scotland Young Entrepreneur of the Year, with the opportunity to win £1500.

The runner- up in the awards is Paisley girl Pauline Clifford, founder of Starsparkles,

Pauline set up her business producing customised training shoes originally for the Qube shop in Glasgow.

The shoes are individually decorated with Swarovski crystals and can retail at £200 per pair.

Pauline's sparkling designs have already been snapped up by Madonna and Paris Hilton and a number of well known high street retailers such as Office and she is actively marketing in the United States.

She was presented with the runner- up prize of £300- sponsored by Renfrewshire Council- by Provost Celia Lawson.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, PSYBT regional manager Tony Dorrington said: "To recognise and celebrate the success of young entrepreneurs who are creating wealth, and who are making a positive contribution to their local community with this business award, is a privilege for all of us involved and a great inspiration to others. We wish them well in the finals."

For more information, please visit the official website of Frank To Fine Art

STAR- STUDDED FAN CLUB by Helen Brown, The Courier 21st May 2007

By Helen Brown

DUNDEE- TRAINED, Glasgow born artist Frank To is showing work in a major exhibition at the Queens Gallery, Dundee.

At 25, he is already winning an enviable reputation for himself as a contemporary figurative painter with a loyal- and impressively high- profile following.

Three of his canvases have been beamed up into the collection of Star Trek actor Patrick Stewart- the cult TV show's Captain Jean- Luc Picard- and more recently Scottish crime writer Ian Rankin, creator of maverick Edinburgh detective John Rebus, has shown an interest in the work of this up-and-coming artist.

A Masters graduate of Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art who also trained in Yorkshire, he has exhibited alongside such greats of the Scottish and international art scene as Peter Howson and his work has also featured in the London Art Fair, at shows in Harrogate, Chelsea, Edinburgh and Glasgow and in the collection of Dundee University.

This is his first solo gallery exhibition and consists of all new work- but with an underpinning of subjects he has been itching to paint for some time.

He explained, "I've been trying to get this off my chest since I travelled through Europe in 2002. I did a lot of drawings while I was there, inspired by the Old Masters especially which is something I'd actually read a lot about. There's great book, Vasari's LIVES OF THE ARTIST, which is like a contemporary biographical account of some of the greatest renaissance painters that influenced me a lot, especially when I read about Michelangelo.

"I was inspired by the idea that Michelangelo could visualise the human form within a block of marble and used his artistic skills to 'free' it, and I wanted to explore the idea of teasing out figures from initially abstract images.

"I work in two distinct ways. First, I use broad sweeping brush strokes to create the abstract starting points, then more precise brushwork to turn the abstract into something more figurative."

Although he is becoming known for his highly individual style based on the human form, Frank's approach actually combines the best, as far as he is concerned, of two very different painting styles.

He explained, "The course I took in Yorkshire, at Huddersfield, wasn't a traditional one, it was much more a conceptual course. It wasn't until I did my Masters at Dundee which has a strong reputation in the traditional approach that I found I could mix the two elements into something that was really mine.

"It's like alchemy in a way, putting these elements together to make something new."

Currently busy on a major private commission for a Texan client, achieved through a New York art dealer who has represented legendary names such as Andy Warhol and Jean- Michel Basquiat, Frank is also working in his Glasgow studio for a showcase of Scottish painting at the Modern Artists Gallery in Berkshire and has an opportunity to create work for the Albemarle Gallery in London, one of the art world's most prestigious venues.

"The Texan commission happened after a visit to America in February and it's really interesting- I've never met the client but they apparently have an art collection featuring Picasso and Monet.

"I'm beginning to take a bit more of a gamble with my work this year. I graduated in 2005 and took part in lots of shows throughout 2006 to get a name and get my work out there. Now, in my second year, I feel I'm developing and taking it further.

"Lots of opportunities are coming together so I think things are at a bit of a crucial stage. Failure is not an option so I'm working out how best to tackle this successfully as I can."

For more information please visit the official website of Frank To Fine Artist