By Lauren Dowdle
Photos by Kelsea Schafer
Like many little girls, Fran Bostick enjoyed drawing pictures of horses, dresses and the people around her. But unlike most, she revived that childhood passion and transformed her talent into something much larger and more colorful.
An Andalusia native, Fran has lived in Hoover since she graduated from college. She says she’s always loved creating art, but after going to college, getting a job and having children, there was no time left for hobbies.
“I had a 40-plus-year career in human resources. It was based around compliance and rules,” Fran says. “I loved my career and met a lot of wonderful people, but it didn’t lend itself toward creativity.”
After retiring eight years ago, she read a book that suggested she think about activities she enjoyed as a child to see if she still liked them. Art came to mind, so she began taking classes and giving her family and friends the pieces she would create. Eventually, she began selling her pieces and has since participated in art shows and had her pieces featured in places like Alabama Goods, Urban Home Market and the Homewood Public Library.
“It’s what I call an unexpected journey. I feel called by the Lord to do this,” Fran says. “I’m just blown away by the opportunity I’ve been given.”
Fran now creates artwork that is large, colorful, vibrant and abstract—not so different from her own personality.
“I like to paint big with lots of color,” Fran says. “I’m kind of loud, so my art is loud and busy.”
People often think that creating abstract art is easy since the artist isn’t painting something specific. However, the challenges are finding the right balance with the composition and color, Fran says.
“With abstract art, you have to know how to juxtapose different colors, values and shapes,” she says.
She finds artistic inspiration from the colors, sights and shapes all around her—like the natural beauty she sees on her hikes. From the colors to the movement of nature, Fran looks for ways to incorporate those elements into her pieces. If she finds something she likes, she’ll take photos to see if she can match the colors.
“The shapes and colors of nature are beautiful, like the curve of a leaf or petal,” Fran says. “I’ll look up at the sky while I’m driving and wonder what color blue I’d use to paint that.”
She paints with brushes and palette knives to add color and texture to her pieces. On one of her recent pieces, she poured coffee on the canvas to create light, transparent layers. She’s also poured acrylics on pieces for a unique design.
“I like to try new things,” Fran says. “Art is just about experimenting.”
If she creates something she doesn’t love at first, she keeps working on it until she likes what she sees. Often times, those pieces end up being some of her most memorable.
“Some of my favorite pieces are ones that I’ve painted over two or three times using acrylic paint,” she says. “If you don’t like it, you can paint over it, and it gives you lots of layers.”
Fran gets up each morning around 4 or 5 to work on her artwork because that’s when she says she feels the most creative. She currently paints in the bonus room in her home, but she’s quickly running out of space for all of her materials. While she says that part of the process is lonely, she also attends art classes to be around others.
Participating in art shows is another way she interacts with people, and she says she enjoys seeing their reactions to her pieces.
“I want to evoke a positive emotion, whether it’s laughter or a smile or a memory that was happy,” Fran says.
Her artwork has also helped her connect with people from grade school and college she never would have otherwise, Fran says.
“I’ve rekindled so many old friendships over my art, and that’s very unexpected,” she says.
In addition to the pieces she creates from her own inspiration, Fran also accepts commissioned work. For those, patrons can share their ideas and stories with her, and Fran tries to find a way to capture that in a painting. She’ll talk with the client about what they want in the piece, which could be a specific emotion or colors they want to be incorporated.
One commissioned piece that especially stands out to her was for a friend whose mother recently passed away. Her friend’s mother was on her deathbed with her family gathered around and sat up to say, “I’m so sorry I’m not sad. I’m in awe of what’s about to happen to me.” Her friend wanted Fran to paint something that would represent that moment and emotion.
The painting she created depicts each person’s individual pathway to the cross, heaven’s streets of gold and the mansions that await them, she says. Talking about the painting still makes Fran emotional.
“I had to pray over that one,” Fran recalls. “I finally put something on the canvas, and when I showed my friend, she cried. It was such a moment.”
While many are drawn to the images and emotions her artwork evokes, others choose pieces based on the title Fran gives each one. For example, a child psychologist bought one of her pieces titled, “Positive Adversity.” She also lists the artwork titles on her Instagram pictures to make it easier for people to ask her about specific ones.
When she first got started, Fran often tried to replicate the designs of other artists until she found her own style. She encourages those who create art to be themselves and let their individual styles shine through with their work.
“What comes out of you is unique to the world. Art is in your head and heart,” Fran says. “Even if you think it’s ugly, there’s always one person who likes it. Everybody should paint what comes out of them and not try to imitate others.”
To see more of Fran Bostick’s artwork or reach out to commission a piece, visit her Instagram account at @Franbostickart.
Magic City Art Connection
Fran Bostick will be showcasing her artwork at the Magic City Art Connection festival at Sloss Furnaces April 26-28. She says the three-day event is her best show of the year, and she’s looking forward to it.
“I love seeing the same people who have been my clients, meeting new people and just selling my work,” Fran says.
The art festival will feature a variety of art forms including 2D and 3D mixed media, clay, digital, drawing, fiber, glass, jewelry, fiber, metalwork, photography, painting, sculpture and watercolor pieces.
