Open Studio today, January 20, 2018

Original Clay Monoprint 21" x 33"

Happy New Year 2018

One of my latest Original Clay Monoprints 40"x40" (1x1m)

Empty Bowls Naples 2017

These are two bowls I painted for the annual fundraising “Empty Bowls 2017”. It is an event on Saturday, January 28, 2017 from 11 AM to 2 PM in Cambier Park, Naples. With a donation of $20 you will receive access to the event, a commemorative bowl, and the chance to taste soups from over 45 restaurants and clubs! The 2016 event raised over $97,000 to benefit the Harry Chapin Food Bank of SWFL in the fight to end hunger!

My new Logo

Developing a Logo can be quite challenging: it needs to be simple, graphic, and yet say it all. I'm quite happy with my design and the outcome of weeks of hesitations, that got me into a compromise between the desired elements: 

My name, the name of my art studio/gallery, the colors of a Florida sunset, the contemplating  eye that is also a Floridian flower basking in the orange light.

The address is: 
Artisan Plaza, 5760 Shirley Street, Naples, FL 34109
www.artinflorida.com

My newest hand-built ceramic bowl

My newest hand-built ceramic bowl

Hand-Built Ceramic Bowl 13"

Hand-Built Ceramic Bowl 13"

Hand-Built Ceramic Bowl Detail

Hand-Built Ceramic Bowl 13" Detail

Francoise-Marie Thein: the ancient art of the Péckvillchen (Pack-Fill-Chen).

A clay bird called Peckvillchen

Francoise-Marie Thein: the ancient art of the Péckvillchen (Pack-Fill-Chen).

The “Péckvillchen”, a bird built with clay and fired at high temperature is an ancient Luxembourg tradition. The little sculpture, hollow inside, if provided with a number of holes will emit bird sounds, when blowing into it.

The technique of creating these earthen objects can be traced back to 4,500 BC. The cultural tradition has been somewhat institutionalized by the Luxembourg potters guild from the Middle-Ages. The potters’ guild honoring the biblical Emmaus on Easter Monday would gather for a mass at St. Michael’s within the old fortress of Luxembourg, followed by a market where they would offer pottery and earthenware. The Péckvillchen used to be the “hot” must have item. The beginning of the traditional market cannot be traced. A first written evidence goes back to 1823, when it was suggested to move the market 100 yards up street to the “Fishmarket”. The annual event is called “Emaischen”, derived from Emmaus. It draws large crowds every year, and many buyers of the Péckvillchen are collectors. It is true that some Luxembourg artists have taken the Péckvillchen to new heights. With Francoise-Marie Thein, the Péckvillchen became a migrating bird, nesting now in Florida.

The three pictures below show the three stages in the process of creating a bird:

(1)        The raw clay product after a first firing at 1,730ᵒ F

(2)        Painting/decorating the bird

(3)        Glazed birds after a second firing at 2,150ᵒ F

First of my new series of ceramic murals

First of my new series of ceramic murals

My recent Hibiscus Plate

Hibiscus Plate by Francoise-Marie Thein

Great Open Studio event today with Peckvillchen

Great Open Studio event today with Peckvillchen

Today the Luxembourg Peckvillchen was introduced to the Floridian Public, and it was a great success. Great curiosity where it comes from and how it is made.

La femme et l'oiseau. Bronze H11", L16".
Cheetah is a real cat interested by the bird.

Sing a song Peckvillchen

Proud of my tattoos Peckvillchen

Open Studio today and Sunday. My new collection: Peckvillchen!

Open Studio today and Sunday. 

My new collection: Peckvillchen!

Hand built, painted with under-glaze, fired and glazed and re-fired. And yes, it whistles.

The raw Peckvillchen

Another one

Get some paint

A dandy

The painted brood

The glazed brood coming out of 2,150 degrees F

My new series: The Art of the Peckvillchen

First time today, I'll show a batch of Peckvillchen, the Luxembourg tweeting clay bird.

Naples Art District, Open Studios on January 6, 2016

Open House on First Wednesdays. January 6, 2016

#20 Francoise-Marie, Art in Florida
at 5760 Shirley Road, Suite 13

Hibiscus: One of my works for this year's Empty Bowls Auction

Hibiscus. My dish painted for empty bowls of Naples, November 2015

Hibiscus: One of my works for this year's Empty Bowls Auction

Over the last years I have contributed to a wonderful organization, Empty Bowls of Naples.

This is the raw dish. It still needs to be fired in the classic ceramic process. The Empty Bowls event will take place at Cambier Park in Naples on January 23rd, 2016.

More information: emptybowlsnaples.org

My latest paintings

The Journey

The Journey. Putting it on a canvas.

Acrylic, Mixed media. Francoise-Marie Thein 2014

Florida. Mosaic, Glass Mixed Media

Florida. Mosaic, Glass Mixed Media

Florida. Mosaic, Glass, Mixed Media

Françoise -Marie Thein

Today's Opening of my Art Show

Today's Opening of my Art Show

January 10, 2014 

4259 Bonita Beach Road, Bonita Springs, Florida

 

 

 

 

The Show

 

 

 

Fused Glass

 

 

Fused Glass

 

 

 

 

Fused Glass

 

Fused Glass

 

 

 

Ceramics, Fused Glass, Mixed Media

 

 

 

Fused Glass

 

 

 

Fused Glass

 

 

To Catch a Thief

To Catch a Thief

“The world is full of good people who do bad things, mon cher!” (Hercule Poirot, Agatha Christie's famous Belgian detective)

This  post  is in self-interest: It so happens that my work gets into various places in the world. And sometimes gets stolen.

Five years ago, the family of Kentucky Fried Chicken Founder, Colonel Harland Sanders, acquired a bronze sculpture, "The Ballerina" to accompany Margaret Sanders' poem "My Darling" on her Grave memorial at theLouisville Cave Hill Cemetery, in Kentucky. It is famous for its art and atmosphere. But alas, "The Ballerina" was stolen, about a month ago. The sculpture is a limited edition. This was # 2 out of seven, signed "Françoise-Marie". Born in Belgium, I call upon the Hercule Poirot in you to catch the thief. 

Again the world is full of good people who do bad things. Proof, another theft occurred during a Traveling Exhibition with Cercle Artistique de Luxembourg in France, several years ago. My bronze sculpture "LaPenseuse" or "The Thinker" was stolen in the City of Metz. The sculpture was one of a limited edition of 7. It was never found again. 

Every morning, a small part of humanity gets up with no good intent, the insurance guy would say.

Margaret Sanders' Poem on the Memorial:

My Darling

You think I am of the earth Earthly

But really I am like a ballet dancer

Poised briefly with just the tip of one toe

To the earth

But so attuned I catch the music

Hear naught of anything else

And go dancing on and on

To interpret the music that I hear

God plucks the chords of the harp

For my dancing

But one day I shall lift my toe

From the earth

And you shall find me

Only in the music you hear

For then I shall go

Just music

BY MARGARET SANDERS

The Jelly Fish

I was asked if I could do a Jelly Fish. I tried, and here is the result:

Ceramic Bowl, "Jelly Fish" L 12"

Ceramic Bowl glazed "Jelly Fish" L 12" Detail