Getting caught up on commissions then on to new work

This summer has sure been a transition period for me. How to move on without Michael?

I saw that the Eagles are on tour. Who is replacing Glenn Frey? So I looked on the Eagles website and found out it is his son. As I scrolled through the website I saw the lyrics to this is song Glenn wrote. It was read at his funeral.  I feel a little connection to him because we lived across the street from him when we lived in Aspen on Snowmass Creek and his post office box was right next to ours at the Conoco. We would see him there often and he always spoke.

“It's Your World Now”
Written by Glenn Frey and Jack Tempchin
From the Eagles’ Long Road Out of Eden album

A perfect day, the sun is sinkin' low
As evening falls, the gentle breezes blow
The time we shared went by so fast
Just like a dream, we knew it couldn't last
But I'd do it all again
If I could, somehow
But I must be leavin' soon
It's your world now

It's your world now
My race is run
I'm moving on
Like the setting sun
No sad goodbyes
No tears allowed
You'll be alright
It's your world now

Even when we are apart
You'll always be in my heart
When dark clouds appear in the sky
Remember true love never dies

But first a kiss, one glass of wine
Just one more dance while there's still time
My one last wish: someday, you'll see
How hard I tried and how much you meant to me

It's your world now
Use well your time
Be part of something good
Leave something good behind
The curtain falls
I take my bow
That's how it's meant to be
It's your world now
It's your world now
It's your world now

Since Michael died last year I've sold cars, bought a car, refinanced our house, done plumbing, painted walls and a lot of other things that would have been Michaels jobs. I've also sold Carolina Creations, the business we built together and gave us such a great lifestyle the past 25+ years. 

I've done some traveling, had time to think about life and what's next. But before I can really move on to what's next I've got to finish the many commissions I've got on my plate, and get Carolina Creations restocked with pottery. 

Here are some of the pieces I've been working on since I returned from my 5 week trip to Michigan, NYC and Philadelphia.

These cake plates are in progress, then I need to paint mats for 2 wedding invitations. Then maybe I can do some new work. Whoops I forgot I need to do my 2018 calendar and an ornament.

But to soothe my anxiety I HAD to lay out some new small paintings. Starting small with 12 x 12 inch canvases because painting is just like anything you are trying to become proficient at, you have

to practice, practice, practice. Watercolors and clay I practice at all the time but oils aren't so easy to just pick up. So I laid out these canvases and will stare at them while I finish the rest of the jobs I have to do! I'll post them again when I finish.

Back to the introduction of this post, what I want to do in my world now is do some of the things I could never take the time to do while running Carolina Creations.

Become proficient at painting in oils.

Do garden sculpture.

Do mosaics.

In other words create some beauty to leave behind for others to enjoy and of course to satisfy my yearning to create.

Today I was riding my bike over by Tryon Palace and I saw the lights of a train in the distance. I sat down to wait for it to come so I could get a photo of it for this blog. I sat there for a long time and it never DID come, So I took this photo without the train.

I worked on it in photoshop so you could see the railroad bridge in the middle left of the picture.

I love railroads and trains. I first got interested in them in Michigan. I've always loved architecture and have drawn and painted it for my entire adult life. I was asked to do drawings of railroad depots throughout Michigan by the Michigan Historical Society which started my love affair. As I went around looking at Depots I started seeing steam locomotives which intrigued me as well. I loved all the gears and even the sound. Of course by the time I became interested the only place you saw steam engines were in museums or on tourist lines.

I've ridden cross country from Michigan to California, from Michigan to Mexico City, from New Bern to Philadelphia and on lots of tourist railroad like the Durango and Silverton, the Cumbres and Toltec, the Goergetown Loop and the East Broad Top. When I go to New York I always fly into Newark so I can take the train into the city. Each rail trip is an adventure!

When we lived in Colorado in the 80s, I drew most of the remaining depots in that state. There were narrow gauge railroads in the mountains, however most of those tracks were taken up during WWII. The neat thing is you can still drive on those old rail beds. We've driven on many. One of Michaels favorite stories is about our trip to the Alpine Tunnel, which was once the highest tunnel in the world. We drove through the woods, along a cliff with major dropoffs, around  huge boulders that had fallen into the road bed. When we got to the tunnel it had wood boards across it and no trespassing signs pasted on. Of course Michael had to go inside. I did not! When he got back to the car (our 69 VW bus) I said we are out of gas!! Michael said - no problem - and we coasted down the 4 degree road bed all the way back to Gunnison (about 15 miles) without turning the car on.

Many of the drawings of did of those railroad stations were purchased for the Western History Collection of the Denver Public Library. 

I still have notecards of some of the drawings. 


Here is a photo with a link where you could purchase if you wanted to! $5 for the set of 6, 

Notecards of Colorado Narrow Gauge Railroads Click here for more information

Fast forward to New Bern and todays photo - the railroad came to New Bern in 1858. The bridge of today is in the same location as the original, it's just a little wider and a little higher. Ten scheduled freight trains operate Monday through Friday and the tracks go down the middle of Hancock Street.

The historic Preservation Society of New Bern has been in negotiations with the railroad for years to be able to restore our depot, and it seems they are finally making progress. While we currently have only freight service to New Bern there are plans in the works to have a bus run a route to deliver passengers to the train in Selma or Rocky Mount.


One way you can tell the difference between a train enthusiast and someone who is not, is, the enthusiast will slow down so they have to stop for the train, the non-nenthusiast will speed up so they don't have to stop.


We always slow down.


Jan Francoeur