What is in Store for 2016

As we go into each new year we try to keep some traditions alive and add some new!

This coming year will start out with the final days of Brenda Behr's beautiful show of plein air paintings depicting sights along our coast. The final day is January 5. While we always have some of Brenda's paintings we seldom have this many at one time.

On January 6 we will begin hanging the Valentine cards that school children from across the county have lovingly created for us. Each card sells for $3 and all proceeds are donated back to the school art teachers fund. This show and sale runs through February 14.

On February 15 we will begin to hang our Dreaming of Spring show - the  Button Florist will be featured with her bouquets of hand crafted clay flower bouquets and glass wall flowers by Jade Glass.

The button florist creates unique alternatives to traditional flowers, using a mixture of up-cycled and vintage buttons, handmade ceramic buttons, and recycled sweater felt.

While the glass flowers, are created by Scott Johnson. Scott has a passion for glass and the knowledge of casting materials led him to develop extraordinary glass flower bouquets.

These two non-traditional flower artists work will be accompanied by floral paintings by gallery artists through the end of April.

In March we will resume our "Sally's Painting Party" series. It's a great way to get a kick start if you have never painted, if you haven't painted for a while, or paint all the time and just want to try it! Sally sketches out the image and you follow along as she tells you how to do it.

These are four of the images we painted in 2015!

On May 1 we will open a one person show with work by Marvin Maune. This show will run through June 30.

On July 1 we will hang a show with landscape paintings by Sally Anger. Her show will run through August 31.

August 1 through October 31 we will feature work by Alan Cheek.

November 1, 2016 through January 5, 2017 will be our Christmas Ornament show accompanied by mixed media artists.

So that is our line up of shows, other things coming up.

We put much of our pewter on sale before Christmas, that sale along with some Christmas and other items will remain on sale through the middle of January to make room for new work.

Our home will be on the historic home tour, I'll be doing some hand building in our pottery on the first floor, the second floor is my painting studio where I create and we hold the occasional class, and the 3rd floor is our living space with amazing views.

We'll do some traveling around the country looking for new artists and picking up from some we have already ordered from - this is our favorite part! Finding new and exciting work.

They are a busman's holiday, we try to combine some relaxing time along with work (if you can call looking at creations work!). Trips are planned to Florida, the Northeast, and Georgia. Of course Carolina Creations remains open while we are gone thanks to our great staff.

So we are looking forward to a happy and healthy New Year, and we wish the same for you.

31 Days of Thanks Day 31 Michael

31 Days of Thanks Day 31

And last but not least  the support of my husband Michael has allowed me to concentrate on my art and growing our business. We have collaborated on a lot of things. He throws bowls that I decorate. He frames pictures that I paint.  He is the one that keeps everything running, he's always behind the scenes, while I get all the accolades.

The thing is, I could never do what I do without him.

Both of us grew up with mid-western values, working hard and supporting each other.

It's been a fun ride, we balance each other, bouncing ideas back and forth until we come up with a plan.

Looking forward to many more years and adventures together!

Thanks to all who have followed my 31 Days of Thanks! Our posts will continue with news about what we're doing, our artists, new work at Carolina Creations, view from the porch and so on.

- Jan Francoeur

31 Days of Thanks Day 30 Carolina Creations Crew.

31 Days of Thanks Day 30

While I get all the glory I wouldn't have the time to do what I do without the help of Lou, Donna, Irene, David, Lori, and Donna.

They are the faces you see most of the time when you come into Carolina Creations.

They give me feedback, (sometimes people will say things to them that they would never say to me), they give me great ideas, they keep the gallery running, shipping done, orders taken and filled, make people feel good when they come in, and so many things I can't list.

They've been with us for years and don't know what I would do without each and every one of them. Each person is talented in their own way and each is best at something so all together they have made Carolina Creations.

Thank you Lou, Donna, Irene, David, Lori, and Donna!

31 Days of Thanks Day 29 Always Learning

31 Days of Thanks Day 29

People often think that an artist does what they do and just learn on their own as they go along. Once in a while I'll take a class or buy a new "how to" art book. I've heard Michael say "I don't know why she's taking a class, she could teach it." You always learn something, and just like in the rest of our lives we need to keep improving, changing and learning.

I've talked about Mike Rooney and Ken Auster. Then there is Dan Nelson and Sally Sutton.

Dan is amazing and we've had him teach a couple workshops through Carolina Creations. Painting with two hands, never make an ugly mark, do your darks in transparents, your lights in opaque. Make 75% of your painting dark, 25% light.

I never take everything any one says and incorporate it 100%. Maybe just one thing adds to how I do something.

Last fall I decided I really wanted to get into oils, I've messed around with them, I've done some nice paintings but I don't do it enough to really come up with a style. That being said people say they can tell its my painting even though it's done in a different medium. Maybe style isn't the word, Maybe way of doing one is a better thing to say. Every time I start one its like starting from scratch, I need a road map, do this first, do this second, etc.

So my friend Sally Sutton (who has also done a couple workshops for us in my studio) was teaching an oil painting class at Craven CC last fall. I thought because it would go for several months it might really help me, and it did. A couple things I've incorporated into my way of doing things is to do the underpainting in the opposite of the local color, and use her painting medium.

The class gave me enough confidence to take on a big commission.

I'm doing 1 huge 48 x 60", and 2 smaller 24 x 48" oil paintings for a public building here in our downtown. I'll post photos of it in phases when I'm finished with it.

I'm about 1/2 way done with the giant one and 1/3 done with each of the smaller ones.  One thing I've learned already on these is how to paint a huge sky. Rather than just start on the canvas I prepared it by using my medium (or should I say Sally's!), adding a little bit of white and cover the sky area. Then go in with my sky color, wow, what a difference, so much faster and looser. I had a LOT of canvas to cover so this really helped a lot. Plus it helped it dry faster.

So from each artist you learn, from each painting you learn, you learn from hearing people talk about your paintings.

Same with running a gallery. Whenever we go to a show if educational seminars are offered we always go to them, even though we've been in business 24 years we always learn. We always say if we get just one thing out of it it's worth the time and money.

I'm not really much of a teacher, I don't really have the gift for it so this post is a huge thank you to all of the talented people who have been generous with their knowledge, contributing to making my art and Carolina Creations what it is today.

-Jan Francoeur

31 Days of Thanks Day 28 Working in Series

31 Days of Thanks Day 28 Working in Series

When we lived in Colorado I met Darlene Wilson, who painted dogs. She's the one that really got me started working in a series. It is wonderful for many reasons. You get an idea and one leads to the next. Also because I do prints of many of my paintings our customers will keep adding to their series!

Once we arrived in New Bern the logical thing to start a series of was our beautiful waterfront since architecture is my favorite thing to paint.

East Front Street

East Front Street and Gull Harbour

Union Point

 

Around New Bern was the first in my "Around" series.

 

And Around New Bern Too was the second

Which lead the Jones County Historical Society to ask me to do an Around Jones County.

I have done a lot of work for Camp Sea Gull and Camp Seafarer through the years so though I'd do Around Camp. This one took me about a year to figure out. I kept looking at the buildings, then one day it dawned on me that Camp isn't about the buildings its about the people and activities. Once I got that in my mind I was able to do it.

Other series I've done are my train series, herb tiles, New Bern ornaments and door paintings.

We've already talked about the lighthouse series, that one was a natural since we have 7 working lighthouses - so it consists of 7 pieces.


I talk about one piece leading to the next, the thing is I NEVER run out of ideas of things to paint, I only run out of time.

- Jan Francoeur

31 Days of Thanks Day 27 Artists who inspired me part II

31 Days of Thanks Day 27

I've learned a lot from many different artists. Some by painting with them, some just by reading their books.

When we first came to New Bern I met Ruth Heppler and we painted together one night a week for several years. Eventually we got too busy at Carolina Creations and I didn't have time. I was working in watercolors while Ruth worked in oils but making time to paint each week was important and I continue to paint each week to this day. Not every day but every week.

One of the artists I know that does paint every day is Mike Rooney.

Carolina Creations was one of the first galleries to ever represent Mike Rooney. I still remember the first day he came in to show me his work. He was so nervous, shy, and talented!

Mike had been working as a sign painter and wanted to spend more time doing fine art.

After a couple years Mike was having great success with his work, quit his day job and began to paint full time.

By this time I'd become accomplished with watercolors and with my glazes on clay but was now interested in exploring oils.

So we hosted a 3 day plein air painting workshop with Mike and my exploration of oil painting began. These are a couple of the paintings I did after taking workshops.

My goal for working is oils is to loosen up!

Since then we have hosted several more workshops with him and at every one I learn something more.

Mike now spends his time traveling from Key West to Cape Cod, showing his work and teaching classes.

I went to Asheville to go to a workshop with Ken Auster. He's the guy that did all the chef paintings in Ruby Tuesdays. What I learned from him is that I don't know how to apply oil paint. "It's called painting not scrubbing." That might sound like a mean thing to say but it was and still is huge for me. I realize that is most of my problem with oil painting, I'm too heavy handed with the brush. So now whenever I start to work in oils I remember him saying that.

He is messy, I am too! He said 'all my clothes either have paint on them or will have paint on them,' I'm right there with him.

His paintings have a lot of drama, which I like, and he does a lot of architecture, which I love to do too. I still haven't loosened up as much as I would like but I'm working on it.

This is a painting I did when I came home from that thinking about some of the things he talked about.

Thank you Mike and Ken for your inspiration!

31 Days of Thanks Day 26 Our New Space

31 Days of Thanks Day 26

Not really having any experience or education in business, everything we've learned has been by doing, so we listen to advice and read everything we can.

One of the guys (John) we were buying radio advertising from (his retirement job) said that he had a business of his own for 30+ but the only reason he was able to retire was because he owned his real estate. We had tried to purchase a building in downtown 7 years before but the price and the appraisal did not match up, of course this was when our Downtown did not look like it does today. His comment got us thinking about it again in 2001.

The old Chinese restaurant/Metropolitan Club had been gutted (the peoples plan for it never got it off the ground) and sitting empty for a couple years. It was way bigger than we needed but the downstaris would be perfect for us.

Yes it looked a little scary but its a great space.

We were told that the people we were renting from needed the building we were in so we really needed to find a new place for Carolina Creations.

The people wanted way more than the going rate, it would need A LOT of money to renovate. So we started talking to a local architect about buying the place together. While trying to come to an agreement on the price, we met a neighbor on the sidewalk (Charles) and he said "you ought to buy that building", we said we were trying to but they wanted too much money and we weren't getting anywhere. He said "Make them an offer and say it's good until the end of the month."  So that's what we did, and they took the offer!

But then we lost the guy who was going to go in with us who would know how to develop the building into a commercial condo, which we knew nothing about.

While we were panicking wondering what to do another friend said go talk to M. Which we did.

Whew!! Yes he was interested so we bought the building together, we made it into a commercial condo, we own 1/3 he owns 2/3, and here we are 11 years later. It was a good move for us and, like with our last location, as our space grew so did our business.

We love our space!

Thank you John, Charles, Dan, Marvin for planting the seeds and helping us see them grow.

- Jan Francoeur

31 Days of Thanks Day 25 CRAFT

31 Days of Thanks Day 25

In 1998 we joined an organization that totally changed our business. We joined the CRAFT Retailers Association and met other gallery owners from across the country.

We had never before had anyone to talk to about our business who really understood the challenges of running a gallery featuring hand crafted items, made in the USA working with artists, and so on.

    


Through the years these folks have become like family. We see each other as much as 5 or 6 times a year (unfortunately more than I see my own family). I ended up on the board of the organization and converse with one of the people I met through CRAFT every week on one issue or the other 16 years later.

Our group started a week long celebration throughout the US celebrating American Craft. This will be it's 5th year. It's called American Craft Week.
                                       
Our group presents educational workshops at shows across the country. I've done presentations on blogging and other topics, as well as set on panels addressing issues we all have running a gallery.

I helped set up our organizations website, wrote a monthly newsletter, and so on.

We would share artists with each other, be available to assist with issues, share rooms at shows.

I got a nice award from the group for my contributions.

So thank you to Sandra, Anna, Karen, David, Anne, Diane, Donna, Don, Deb, Laurie, Rani, Bob, for your ideas, commaradry, encouragement, selfless sharing, lending a shoulder, and everything else. You have all helped us make Carolina Creations better.

31 Days of Thanks Day 24 out on our own renting space

31 Days of Thanks Day 24 out on our own renting space

Once Michael and I started doing pottery we quickly outgrew our space and when it was time to renew our lease on Middle Street we decided we needed to move into our own space.

It was a little scary for us, our rent increased by ten fold and we would have to hire employees, yikes!!

I remember running into my friend Bruce on the street and told him what we were doing, he said "what if it doesn't work out?" I said "there is no plan B" and kept walking.

As it turned out we didn't need a plan B.

We started carrying other peoples work as well as our own. Our thought was build a business that we can sell someday when its time to retire. If it was only our work and we were no longer in the picture there would be nothing to sell.

Most of the other shops like ours took things on consignment, we started purchasing fine crafts from other professional artists. Just like most retail businesses do. That way we could control the quality of the work we carried.

When we started looking for a new space we were thinking about buying. At the time real estate in our Downtown was not a good bet according to the banks we talked to. (boy things have changed!) They said the properties were over priced. I heard about a space becoming available on Pollock Street. So called Lonnie and said I wanted to see it.

He said someone else was coming from Swansboro to look at it that afternoon. But he would show it to me. Michael was somewhere, don't remember where, and this was before cell phones. When I saw it I said right away, "we'll take it". He said he would rather rent to us because we had a track record, than the unknown people in Swansboro.

So we rented it in August but did not move until after Christmas. It gave us time to get enough art to fill it, to revamp it, and transition.

I felt like we were stepping off a cliff but it was a good move! We evolved and grew.

I always felt like that was one of our strengths, keep evolving and tweeking, while keeping our core the same.

Who am I thanking here? All the people who supported us and followed us around the corner!

- Jan Francoeur

31 Days of Thanks Day 23 Clay Sculpture

31 Days of Thanks Day 23 Insight into who has influenced us, our art, and our business throughout the years.

My friend and whimsical sculptor extraoridnairre Justine invited me to work with her one day. I found that I love sculpting!

I haven't had a lot of time to do it unfortunately so haven't come up with a consistent style but some day.....


Another person that encouraged me to do it is Steve Fabrico, he's the guy who did the big totem sculpture over by the Double Tree. We carry his work at Carolina Creations and I had the pleasure of going to his studio in NY and seeing how he works. Just to cement what I learned in my brain I made this sculpture which is at the corner of our driveway. Its about 5 feet tall.

Every person you work with contributes another piece to the puzzle.

 

I did this piece after watching Peter King work. He does amazing architectural pieces, fireplace surrounds, gates and more. This piece is quite large, 4 x 5' and hangs outside the door of our house.

And lastly I was inspired to start doing these wall hangings after seeing something on the internet. Unfortunately I can't say where it came from. I think it was on an interior design site so can't give anyone credit. Of course mine looks nothing like theirs but it got my wheels turning.

 

So thank you Justine, Steve, Peter and Unknown person!

-Jan Francoeur

31 Days of Thanks Day 20 I Would Like to Help

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

One day while making tiles Michael said I'd like to help!

So he started helping me roll the tiles.

Then I said why don't you learn how to throw? He said I think I will.

So he took a class from Elizabeth Priddy then Steve Jepson, and off he went!

Our first series of functional pottery was fruits and vegetables, a spin off of the tiles.

I don't have many photos of that work, although I do still do it occasionally.

Michael would throw the pieces, I would decorate and glaze, Michael would load the kilns.

We started with one medium size kiln and now have 4!

Through the years our styles and themes have evolved.

Sometimes I hand build pieces and decorate them with New Bern themes. Our pieces have been awarded to dignitaries from Europe and Africa, mayors, aldermen, County commissioners and so on!

Sometimes gardens and a house are my theme. Earlier in this series I talked about my calligraphy, well it has really come in handy on our pottery too.

Some of the words I put on our pieces are my own words, some are famous quotes.

One day a customer named Martha said "My niece is getting married would you put their names and date on a piece? Ding!!  Since then I've personalized hundreds of pieces with bridal, anniversary, retirement, etc dates and names.

Again the inspiration and idea for these came from our customers, Martha and others, and my friend Cecelia.

- Jan Francoeur

31 Days of Thanks Day 22 How we developed our pottery business

31 Days of Thanks Day 22  Always getting ideas from our customers

I started making hand made tiles, after so many requests from our customers. I started working with spacers and a rolling pin so they would be the right thickness.

I rolled hundreds of tiles.

Here is one of the drawings I did that prompted people to start asking for tiles.

 

I would cut these apart, hand color and frame them individually.

And here of some of the tiles I have done from the drawing inspirations.

I designed this throw for the Arts Council that they sold as a fund raiser, I used those drawings to start doing tiles of buildings in our town.

 

You can see how one thing just leads to another!

I do a lot of commissioned tiles of peoples homes and each year I do tiles of all the homes on the home tour.

I LOVE working with clay!  There is so much you can do with it, sculpture, tiles, dinnerware, vases, on and on.

Now all I need it more time.

It all started with a few comments from friends and customers. Thank you for your ideas and encouragement.

- Jan Francoeur