31 Days of Thanks Day 8 Drawing for Michigan and Lenswee County Historical Societies

31 Days of Thanks Insight into who has influenced us, our art, and our business throughout the years.

Once I started using a Rapidograph I REALLY got into doing very detailed drawings. They lay down dense, even-flowing lines of controlled widths.

I became enthralled with anything that was complex to draw, including steam locomotives. I guess all the gears and intricate detail of them. Then I started riding them too and loved the sound and the history.

As I started visiting historic sites that had them in their collections I began noticing that the railroad depots that they were parked in front of had a particular "look" that I liked. That was the beginning of my love of drawing architecture.

I was contacted by the Lenawee County Historical Society, where my mother was a geneologist, and was asked if I would be interested in doing drawings for a calendar. So I did 12 drawings each year for many years, maybe 8 or 10, of historical buildings around the county. I got a lot of publicity, made some money and got a lot of exposure (in this case exposure was worth it - that's another story!). That was the start of doing commissions of peoples homes, which I still do to this day.

My railroad drawings caught the attention of the Michigan Historical Society and I did numerous drawings of railroad depots around the State for them, which are in their collection. And were featured in their magazine.

So thank you Lenawee County Historical Society and the Michigan Historical Society for supporting my work!

- Jan Francoeur