Graham Franciose's Dreamlike Paintings in Watercolor and Gouache Tell a Snippet of a Story

“My first memories of appreciating any form of ‘art’ were the illustrations in children’s books,” writes Graham Franciose (previously). “My grandmother had a whole bookshelf full of them in the guest room of her New England home, and my brother and cousins and I would pull them out and pour through them at every family gathering.” When paging through these formative texts, Francoise would create vast narratives to pair with the illustrations, ignoring the storylines already filling the pages.

Today, the artist takes a similar approach with his watercolor and gouache paintings. His latest exhibition titled Story to Tell comprises 40 new pieces that begin with a small seed of an idea and branch out into vast, surreal worlds. While Franciose often contemplates humans’ connection to nature and introspective journeys, this body of work sees recurring motifs of plants emerging from animal bodies and figures lost in contemplation. As with most of his dream-like paintings, subjects are portrayed in strange, unlikely situations, offering viewers several threads to spin into a larger story.

If you’re in Seattle, stop by Gallery ERGO to see the exhibition before it closes on June 10. Otherwise, find more of Franciose’s works on Instagram.

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