I watched the cold January night shift into the gray of dawn, the bridge looming as a gateway into or out of the city. Perspective creates its own reality. Ice had gathered along the edge of the river, helping chill the wind. Then the sun peeked over the horizon and the world changed. The cold gray bridge transformed into a warm golden orange. It was as if hope and joy were beaming their way into the city. The audacity of that light—the ice remained on the river’s edge, the wind was no less chilly, and yet I basked in the illusion of warmth.

New Mexico holds that special desolate, rugged, spiritual and powerful landscape that is a part of Fran’s ‘Take Any Road philosophy.  Fran coined the phrase “If you need a place to go, take any road” after the loss of her parents and two of her three beloved brothers.  It encourages the viewer to have the confidence to move forward and experience life no matter how difficult or confusing, beautiful or powerful. Without reservation or remorse, each painting takes a point of view, and offers a destination of courage and purpose.

Fran first visited Scotland in 1972 and was moved by the rugged landscapes, dramatic skies, and jagged coastlines.   It represents for her a challenging domain of contrasts in which the sea, the hills, and the sky wrestle for her attention; flirting with foreboding but ultimately leaving her with the feeling of marvel and peace. 

Flowers are translucent and that light gives them life.  They swing and sway and move to their own rhythms.  Flowers are not still-life subjects.  They are living things of color that emote energy, and sing in harmonies and tones, and speak volumes about dynamic, vivid, and gentle moments. When Fran paints flowers, the movement of her brush is dancing with the motion that she is feeling in the flower to color a harmony on the canvas.