Graham Franciose

Graham Franciose (b. 1983) is an artist and illustrator splitting his time between Seattle, WA, and Austin, TX. Working primarily with watercolor and gouache on cotton paper, the illustrative and narrative nature of his work stems from his original interest in children’s book illustration at the University of Hartford (2001-2005). Although he never pursued that field, his paintings often coax the viewer into creating their own story, with the image serving as just a sliver, leaving the beginning and end up to interpretation.

Along with various exhibitions and illustration work, Franciose has been creating daily (or nearly daily) one-sitting paintings as a morning ritual and self-prescribed therapeutic practice for the last five years. He has exhibited all over the country, most recently with a solo show at Gallery Ergo (Seattle), a group show at Paradigm Gallery (Philadelphia), and a solo show at Cloud Tree Gallery (Austin).

His most recent work for his solo show, The Weight of It All, features large, looming boulders hovering over the heads of his characters. He explains, "The boulders... represent that weight we all carry, whatever it may be for each person, the things we turn over and over again in our brains when we can’t sleep. That’s why the stones are smooth, like a tumbled rock. And while they are always there, and will always cast a shadow, they will only crush us if we let them. In fact, they are as light or heavy as we let them be, because they are our own mind's creation."

The heaviness in Franciose’s work stems from the personal grief he’s experienced, having lost his brother and young cousin to freak accidents, both in the last five years. "My work has taken on a more serious tone since losing my brother in 2018, and then my cousin this year. I am far more aware of the fragility and fleetingness of our time here." While often melancholic, there is also a sense of hopefulness and levity in his work. The floating nature of the giant boulders, as well as flowers and stems bursting forth and blooming from the hearts of some characters or from downed trees and birds who have passed on, illustrate the cycle of death into life.


http://gfranciose.com/

Can you describe the core themes and emotions you explore in your current body of work?

A lot of my current work deals with the human experience and the weight and burdens we all carry, whether it be grief, anxiety, depression, etc., visualized as a large boulder-like mass looming overhead. The weight appears to be unavoidable and always there, looming, but there is also a levity to it, and it is not actively crushing our protagonist, but rather floating in a weightless state. Our troubles are as heavy or as light as we let them be because we decide how we respond to them, and they are created in our minds alone.
Another theme that often comes up is a flower or plant bursting forth from a character's chest, symbolizing the possibility of regrowth and hope after loss or death.


How does your creative process unfold from concept to completion?

For over five years now, I have been doing what I call Morning Coffee Paintings. They are daily-ish paintings in the morning while I drink my coffee. I try to start with a completely blank slate and no preconceived idea or imagery in my head and just start sketching until something sticks, then I finish it off with watercolor and gouache. I timelapse the whole process with my phone, which not only keeps a record of the creation but also keeps me focused and sets a sense of urgency to keep going, trust myself, and just let things happen. The whole process is very organic and allows themes and imagery to come up from my subconscious freely without any judgment or editing. The resulting pieces have turned into a large body of work of studies that I can then pull from to create the more substantial paintings that I do.


What inspires you most outside of the visual arts, and how does it influence your work?

I would say the largest influence for me is being out in nature. I moved to Seattle six years ago, and the wild, lush, dramatic landscape surrounding me in this corner of the world is seemingly endless in its inspiration. Especially the wild Pacific Coast and the lush temperate rainforests, where the circle of death and life is so clearly evident.


What message or feeling do you hope viewers take away from experiencing your art?

I try to keep my work open to interpretation, and I don't know that I hope for any specific takeaway for a viewer. Some people really resonate with my work on a personal and emotional level, and that is a very special thing for me to experience. I know that there can be a heaviness and sometimes melancholic feel to my work, but I also always try to show a bit of hope and lightness as well. I guess I hope people can see the beauty and light in the dark.