It's with both joy and some sadness that the doors to my New Orleans studio are closing. For six years, my sunny space fostered hours of creating, collaborating, and teaching. I am deeply grateful for the sanctuary that it brought both to me and others. Thank you to all of you, who helped make it such a special place, and directly supported and encouraged my art making. It's an amazing community we have here, and I am excited to see the creative blossoming for the next studio dweller. ✨
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For me, it's time to prune the beautiful flower on the plant, and redirect my energy to upcoming creative endeavors, and a full-time art teaching position. I'm still around New Orleans, and will still be making art. While the decision was a heavy one to make, I already feel a freeing, open space that change sometimes creates. In the meantime, as I schlep boxes and materials to my increasingly higgledy piggledy home, all prints, mugs, and stationery on my website are on sale at 30% off through the rest of May (my birthday month!) with the code ARTLOVE. I wish I could have a celebration in person, and bid adieu to the space with you. But for this moment in time, I'll instead send some art love to the world. Take care my friends! ✨
Thank you to everyone who participated in the garter raffle for 2nd Harvest Food Bank. It was an absolute joy seeing all your emails and donations pour in. Together, we raised a total of $3911, which is just shy of 16,000 meals! And that’s amazing if you ask me 🙌🏻💗 🙌🏻The winner has been contacted, and I hope to share a photo of the gator’s future habitat soon. In the meantime, take care of yourself, and I’ll leave you with this love note to the Earth✨(thanks for the inspiration @carsonellis ! )
🐊✨Raffle is still on folks! Congratulate yourself because you’ve helped raise nearly 3k for @2ndharvestgnoa !
🐊✨ There’s still time to donate and add tickets to the hat for your chance to win this Gator. If you’re wondering, ‘what in the world is going on?’ Go look at my last gator post. 🐊✨
As you can see, she’s a REALLY big gator, and we’re also still wearing our pajamas at 3pm. Happy Friday!
Like many of you, I’ve been wondering how to help out during these heavy days. As New Orleans faces a food shortage many families are rationing food and going hungry. The Second Harvest Food Bank of New Orleans provides food to families, and ongoing meals to kids who rely on their school lunches. For every dollar donation made, Second Harvest is able to provide FOUR meals to folks!
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To help fill some bellies, I am raffling a textile gator. I made this beast from the swamps back in 2016. She needs a good home, and in the process, we can fill some hungry bellies.
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Here are the details:
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For every $5 donated, you will get ONE raffle ticket thrown in the hat.
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Donate to Second Harvest Food Bank. Their website link in my profile.
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Email me a photo of your donation amount (FrancesMakesArt@gmail.com). Include your NAME. 🐊
***BE SURE YOUR DONATION AMOUNT SHOWS on the photo. That way, I’ll know how many tickets to throw in the hat with your name
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On Friday, May 1st at 5pm central time, I will do an instagram Live broadcast of raffle. I'll contact the winner via email to get their shipping address, and pop the Gator in the mail.
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I warn you, this Gator is quite a wild thing! Straight from the Louisiana swamps, she stacks up at 130" long and 44" high. I understand, she may not fit your wall. But if that’s the case, think of the beautiful surprise your friend, mom, child, will receive when unwrapping a nearly 11 foot alligator on their next birthday gift. Bundle her up, with a gigantic bow. Or better yet, turn her into a flag of sorts, for the corner of the living room. She can wave off any potential unwanted raccoons who gather outside the window. Wear her as a cape, a bed throw... the options here are endless and will give you plenty to imagine during quarantine. Whatever you do, definitely give her a name. SPREAD THE WORD! ✨
Uh oh, he’s coming for me. Good thing I haven’t sewn the teeth yet
More birds, more projects and more simple shapes ✨🦜 Go check it out and if you’re inspired to do a project we would love to see what you come up with! #francesmakesartwithyou
Unexpected house guests who have a deep affinity for Parcheesi. Totally normal, right? .
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#illustration #scbwiillustrators #raccoons #swamplife #kidlit #neworleans #watercolor
