November 10 - December 3, 2023
From Cloud Tree Studios and Gallery:
“Cloud Tree Studios and Gallery is honored to present the work of esteemed Seattle and Austin-based artist Graham Franciose in “The Weight of it All,” a compelling, never-before-seen collection of original watercolor and gouache paintings. The exhibition centers around themes of grief, anxiety, and depression, but also of hope, regrowth, and connections with each other and the natural world to overcome those heavy feelings. Each of Franciose’s pieces shares the experience of life’s lightness and darkness through the artist’s unique illustrative style. In many of Franciose’s new works, a giant boulder looms above his characters. These boulders appear to be both a massive, crushing weight, and also, paradoxically, floating in space, weightless. Bearing rounded and smooth contours, as if sculpted by the churning ocean waves, these stones represent the collective worries and burdens that we all carry within, the repetitive thoughts tumble over and over in the churning ocean of our minds. They are the weight that sometimes feels impossible to escape. These worries become a familiar part of who we are, at times unseen but always present, much like our own shadows. Yet, as Franciose skillfully depicts, these boulders are never truly crushing; they bear the weight that we allow them to carry. After all, they are our own creations. Graham Franciose is a Seattle and Austin-based painter and illustrator known for his unique and captivating illustrative style. His work has garnered attention and admiration for its deep exploration of human emotions and its ability to capture the complex interplay of light and darkness in life.
“The Weight of it All” will be on display at Cloud Tree Studios and Gallery, located at 3411 E 5th St., Austin, TX, 78702 from November 11 through December 3, 2023. The gallery is open from noon to five, Monday through Saturday, and Sunday by appointment only. The opening reception will be held on Friday, November 10, 2023, from 7-10 p.m, as a fitting kick-off to East Austin Studio Tour. For more information and updates about the exhibition, please visit cloudtreestudiosandgallery.com or contact Brian David Johnson at [email protected].”
Reception: November 10, 2023 | 7–10 pm
3411 East 5th Street
Austin, 78702 Texas
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