Right Arrow
Left Arrow

 

 Carol Ruff Franza

Born in New Orleans and reared in southern states including Mississippi, Tennessee and Georgia, the imprint of those childhood years spent in the south seasons much of the artwork and life of Carol Ruff Franza. Art education began at Ringling School of Art in Sarasota, Florida. Carol continued studies at The Atlanta School of Art and Callanwolde. In adulthood Carol has lived in Illinois, New York, Virginia, California, Georgia, Arizona and Washington, before returning to Scottsdale, AZ.
Exposure to many art forms was gained with international travel throughout Europe. During her three years in Scottsdale, Carol fell in love with sculpting. She studied at Scottsdale Artist School and Loveland Academy in Loveland Colorado. She studied figure, bas relief and portrait with Italian Master Bruno Lucchesi, Paul Lucchesi, Stanley Bleifeild, Lincoln Fox, Eugene Daub, Tuck Langland, John Coleman, Susan Henningson, Rosalyn Cook and Richard MacDonald. Anamalia was studied under Richard Loffler, Mel Lawson, Sandy Scott. Phil Beck, John Michael Carter represent a sampling of the masters she studied oil painting techniques with.
Relocation to Bainbridge Island, Washington brought the opportunity to participate in Bainbridge Island Art Walks.
In 2003, Carol created a portrait bust of Governor Sonny Perdue, the first Republican to fill the office of Governor in Georgia since the reconstruction. This work is located inside the Governors Mansion in Atlanta. The artist was commissioned to create a monument to mark the decade anniversary of Desert Mountain High School. This bronze sculpture stands proudly between the Palomino Library and Desert Mountain High School on Via Linda in Scottsdale, Arizona.
A spectacular wall relief hangs in the trendy Salon Krush in Scottsdale, Arizona. This is a magnificent pair of massive flowing wings exceeding 40” tall and 36” wide. This work celebrates the opening of the Salon in 2006.
In 2005 Southwest Art Magazine named Carol as an Artist to Watch in the annual Sculpture edition.
The sculptor now resides in Scottsdale where she continues her passionate work, creating classical bronze forms and oil paintings filled with energy, grace, and spirit.