Francesca Filanc

Tag: creativity

SUMMER DAYS –PAINTING AND PLAYING INDIANS

The Author & Artist in her first Studio

My mother, Pat Welsh, realized I had an aptitude for art at a very young age. Gallery of my current work. In the summertime she taught painting to some of my friends, my sister and me. Mother would encourage me to paint on warm summer afternoons when we were tired of playing imagination games or had had enough beach time for that particular day. I recall so vividly painting in the afternoon after lunch as I matured into adolescence.

To this day I actually remember the upwelling of joy I felt when painting some particular paintings at ages six to eleven years old. My Mom thought them special herself and saved these paintings, having them framed for my oldest daughter Yvette when she born.

Long before I vacationed with my husband and children on the Snake River in Wyoming I recollect painting a scene depicting two Indian men with their canoe. One Indian was leaning into the canoe, the other Indian to the side with a thick forest in the background. I took hours to paint this painting in watercolors. I really felt the Indians getting ready to take the canoe out onto the water. Possibly the games I had played as a very young girl influenced my deep emotion in painting this scene. I loved playing imagination games and I believe my mother encouraged us to play outdoors.

Indians was one of my favorite games. I was a squaw princess and my name was Falling Waters. I have no idea where I got that idea! But I loved the name and no other child could borrow the name, Not Even for one day of play. A little bossy I would say! In those days we had a huge area of Eucalyptus and Monterey Cypress trees growing out of sandy soil. It was a great place to play Indians! We also had an area on our property that had solid clay, which enabled us to have fun making clay pots and cups like the Indians did back in the day!

Playing Indians

We were a neighborhood of girls and we all played together. There were at least seven or eight, Barbie, Katherine, Patty, Annette, Mija, Tina, my sister Wendy and me. There were actually more girls, but they were older than we. They played with us in a more in charge role like being mothers’ helpers. We adored these older girls, Joan, Trudy, and Chris.

On some occasions I remember playing at a friend’s house observing wide-eyed while the older sister got ready for a date, dreaming about the day that I would go to a dance all dressed up in a beautiful shiny dress having been given a corsage by a boy!

Painting is something I have enjoyed doing my whole life thanks to my mother’s encouragement to paint! As an abstract artist I paint my thoughts and feelings.

Here’s to lazy Summers Swimming Painting Gardening sipping Ice tea in beautiful environments!

Happy Summer!

Bye for Now,

Francesca

July 10, 2012
WHY THIS ARTIST LOVES TO WRITE

FAR AND WIDE

I come from a long line of writers on both sides of my family. While some research implies talent in families is passed down through the gene pool, equally important are environment, training and opportunities. The environment in which I was nurtured encouraged creativity and artistic expression. In our family we are all artists. My sister is a scientist as well as an artist. Check out my first blog post We Are All Artists.

In my family tree there are writers, actors, architects, designers, gardeners, musicians, and painters.

I was reading an article in Surfer Magazine today about the surfing gene and how families of professional surfers evolve. The author of the article was interviewing families of famous surfers. One statement they all seemed to stand behind is the fact that their children had been exposed to the best surfing from the time they were born. And practically before they could walk they were taken out into the water with their famous surfing parents.

My niece Rebecca has a childhood friend whose family is full of famous baseball players. It seems to make sense that we are born into families where we can excel in the family business.

I love to write because it is so creative. The same energy I experience when putting paint to canvas is present when I write. In the beginning everything was written longhand. Imagine my delight when I learned to use computers. Now writing is effortless and even more of a joy.

A couple of years ago I went to the mountains by myself for a long weekend with my standard poodle Amie. When I got home I sat down with my laptop and just wrote and wrote. I felt like I was with my best friend. If there really are angels like my granddaughter Anushka says, and which I tend to agree with, maybe they are right there with us while we write (Check out my blog about my granddaughters). I believe we are never alone. The idea that our spiritual guides, angels, God are always with us continually is such a comforting thought.

Think of all the authors who have said, I don’t know where a story is going to take me when I sit down to the computer – the story unfolds, the characters tell me who they are and at times the story starts writing itself. In this way my art takes the same form. I’ll start a painting in one way yet it totally changes before it is done.

I am at times beginning to feel swept away with my friends or friend as I sit here and type away. Many times I can’t type fast enough for the thoughts that flood into my heart and mind. Writing is like painting because it is fluid and alive. I love this quote of Maya Angelou’s . . .

A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.

― Maya Angelou

I view writing the same way. I enjoy the juxtaposition of writing and painting. Here’s to creativity no matter what form it takes.

Bye for Now,

Francesca

June 27, 2012
CREATE YOUR OWN WALL SUCCULENT HANGING PLANTER

My Wall Succulent Hanging Planter

Here’s a project that is lots of fun. Making your own wall succulent planters will also save you money :)

A friend’s husband made the boxes for our garden club, but directions for making a simple frame are available here: Sunset Magazine Article.

How to make your own succulent frame:

1. For a 1-foot-square frame, cut four 12-inch lengths of 2×2 lumber. Nail the corners together for a frame 2 inches deep.

2. Staple or nail a 1-foot square of plywood onto the open back of the frame. Exterior plywood or 1×12-inch redwood works well. You can also channel out a section of the back in order to hang on a wall three months later.

3. Screw ½-inch hardware wire mesh to one side of the open frame. If desired, add trim on top of the mesh to hide it. (If you’re a skilled woodworker, you can also cut a channel into the wood and slide the mesh into the channel, hiding the mesh’s cut edges.)

A friend and I were formatting this project for a group of 30 garden club women.

Soak sphagnum moss overnight in a bucket. Wring out well and generously line the bottom and sides of your frame. Now fill the planter with a 50/50 mix of potting soil and cactus mix. Make a sphagnum moss sandwich by covering the top with another generous layer of the moss. Screw the wire mesh down on remaining two sides.

Co-Garden Club program chair and I had previously bought succulents for all to use. We also suggested people bring succulents from their own gardens to share.

The best succulents to use for this project are slow growing ones. Visit your local nursery for plant material if you don’t already have succulents from your own garden from which to take cuttings. Here are a few suggestions: Aeoniums, Echeverias, Crassula perforate, Senicio rowleyanus, Sedum spathulifolum. Use your imagination!

Check out Debra Lee Baldwin, best selling author, Designing with Succulents and Succulent Container Gardens.

The day of the event was so much fun and everyone’s box turned out differently. Since the beginning of human time women have loved working and creating together. It takes us back to our roots.

If you intend to hang your succulent planter on a garden wall, wait three months for
succulents to root.

In my case, I have enjoyed my succulent boxes as center pieces on outdoor tables that are mainly in shade. I have one that I made a year and a half ago that is a little leggy but still beautiful. With a little housekeeping or should I say gardenkeeping, cutting succulents back, letting them harden off for a week and then replanting; Voila my year and a half leggy planter will look fresh and new. :)

Try to use slow growing succulents or ones that do not get too large. I put in what I felt was beautiful. Succulents are so forgiving that it is easy to change things around. Filling boxes tightly with succulents will give you an immediate show stopper look. :)

Have fun!

Bye for now

Rippin’ Lips

Francesca

April 10, 2012
CREATING A BREATHTAKING CENTERPIECE IS EASY & FUN!

St. Patrick’s Day, last Saturday night, was a leprechaun reason to entertain the neighbors. I love decorating the table for a party. Sometimes, if I am really well organized I do this a day or two before the event.

Creating an enchanting centerpiece
is part of the ambiance for a
successful dinner party.

Many people don’t know where to begin. Remember finger painting in kindergarten? Painting the Centerpiece is right up there with the kindergarten experience, in my book! I get so excited, I am thrilled as I write to you about creating your own centerpieces. You too can have fun creating your own centerpieces, it’s easy!

Growing up, my mother did not encourage me to cook with her.

But creating an elegant centerpiece was different!

I can remember how fun it was to go out into my mother’s garden and pick plants to bring in the house and put on the table in an interesting design surrounded by votive candles. If Pat, (Patwelsh.com -my mom) had a specific idea in mind she would pick the flowers and greenery herself, but then let me have full creative license in culminating the project. So last night, with the candle’s lit I snapped some quick photos with my smart phone, smile on my face. I was pleased and happy.

The table has helped set mood for stimulating conversation.

I always have my dining table set with a centerpiece so all that is needed is to add the finishing touches.

In this case I have a gold tablecloth on the table with two runners of gauzy material, one gold and one purple. I intertwine them, then put 3 large candles of different heights on the table. Then I take 5 elk racks that have a candleholder built into each one and place them over the runner.

Years ago my friend and I bought artistic woodland decorations from Michaels (Michaels.com). That then is the backdrop for whatever theme I chose to create.

Many times I pick flowers and greenery from my garden to decorate the table. On this particular occasion, I went to Trader Joes (TraderJoes.com) looking for shamrocks, but they had none. No worries. They had darling small roses, bulbs in colorful pots and pink jasmine.

Great for a St. Paddy’s Spring Display!

The plants were so reasonable just a few dollars and, by the way, Trader Joes has daffodils this week, just 1.50 a bunch – can’t beat it!

HAVE FUN CREATING YOUR OWN CENTERPIECES!

Bye for now

Rippin Lips

Francesca

March 21, 2012