NEW BOOK! My graphic memoir has been published by Gold Wake Press, and I will be touring the states for your reading pleasure October 1rst.

August 7, 2017Uncategorizedart, book, book tour, franky frances cannon, gold wake press, graphic, graphic memoir, hybrid, illustrations, pen and ink, publication, writingFranky Frances Cannon

I have just published my second book, a graphic memoir titled “The Highs and Lows of Shapeshift Ma and Big-Little Frank,” through by Gold Wake Press, and the book will be hot off the presses in late September/ early October. I’m planning a book tour from Colorado all the way back East to Vermont.

GOLD WAKE PRESS

Here’s the book, with the tools of my trade: yes, flowers are tools too! I created of the artwork in the book with pen and ink, and I designed the cover with the help of Liza Cannon and Nick Courtright.

As a teaser, here is a brief description, and an illustration from the book:

Frances Cannon’s illustrations and prose dance in tandem in this dark fairytale of mental illness, adventure, and resilience. This graphic memoir traces the bumpy road-trip of an unusual mother and daughter duo. Shapeshift Ma displays the erratic behaviors of manic depression. She soars insatiable appetite for love, accomplishment, entertainment, and sex; and in times of emotional despair, she transforms into a wild mare. Her daughter, Big-Little Frank, steels herself against hardship by developing an alter ego—an old, wise grandmotherly self—but when she reaches adulthood, her more vulnerable animal core reveals itself as a bunny-child in need of comfort. Together, they travel around the country in an old junker car, fleeing from fire, divorce, and depression, seeking distraction in romance and art.

For more information about the book, and to pre-order, (book will be officially released October 1rst), here is Gold Wake’s website:

https://goldwake.com

Tour dates are coming soon, but for now, here are the towns that I will be passing through, between late September and the first half of October. Keep your eyes peeled for my announcements, and if you live in one of the following towns, come out to hear me read and buy a book:

Fort Collins, CO
Boulder, CO
Denver, CO
Red Cloud, NE
Omaha, NE
Ames, IA
Des Moines, IA
Iowa City, IA
Chicago, IL
Philadelphia, PA
New York, NY
New Haven, CT
Amherst, MA
Burlington, VT

You can put these dates on your calendar:

November 19th, tune into Vermont Bon Mot radio program: live broadcast on WGDR 91.1 FM on Sunday evening from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Bon Mot streams world-wide on WGDR.ORG and is archived for two weeks of on-demand listening enjoyment. http://www.crowmilk.org/bonmot/
November 20th, catch my reading at the LIT CLUB at the LAMP SHOP, at 7pm in Burlington. See their Facebook page for information, https://www.facebook.com/lovepoetrylovelamps12N0W00SKI810/

Art and poetry in the healing process

August 3, 2017Uncategorizedactivism, art, frances cannon, franky frances cannon, healing, medicine, nature, poetry, t-shirtFranky Frances Cannon

My lovely neighbor Denise Casey asked if I would design an image to correspond with a very moving poem she wrote about her experience with Lyme, which as we in Vermont know is prevalent and disheartening. Let’s all be aware, and support Denise by buying a t-shirt! Here is what she says about the project,

“As some of you know, I had to leave my job in June because I needed to rest and heal from Lyme disease. The healing process is ongoing.

One of the difficulties of this disease is that so much of the struggle is invisible and done alone. I’ve heard many stories about people healing from all kinds of illnesses and struggles, and the main theme I hear is learning how to allow tenderness to be a source of guidance and trust. From these experiences, I wrote a poem and now I’m making a t-shirt in hopes that through connection and visibility we can remember a little bit more. And it’s been hard to earn money while still requiring the rest thats needed.

The front design was thoughtfully created by Franky Frances Cannon.
On the back of the t-shirt is an excerpt from the poem Fighting the Flight:

“…they,
like the moon,
and the waiting trees,
and the tightness in my back,
and the pressure in my head,
and the weight in my body,
are navigating me home
and I pray
that I stop fighting the flight,
stop seeing this tenderness
as less
and start seeing it
clearly
as more.”

T-shirts are available in Heathered Navy w/ white ink, Heathered Green w/ white ink and Heathered Grey w/ Navy ink. Sizes are Mens S-XL. T-shirts start at $25 including shipping.

DM me w/ shirt size, color and quantity and we’ll go from there. Thank you!”

#meetmaxvt #fightingtheflight #lymedisease

art for PRIDE and SOLSTICE

I must celebrate Pride, even though Burlington Vermont strangely delays their Pride festivities until September. National, International, Interstellar Pride oozes from my pores! And, happy solstice everybody.

Flora and fauna

Criolla De Cocina Sweet Peppers. Look for my illustrations in “Edible Asheville” soon.

SNEAK PEEK, JUST a HINT: a NEW BOOK LURKS BELOW the SURFACE of the NEAR-FUTURE, from the FINGERS and BRAIN of FRANCES

April 28, 2017Uncategorizedart, book, drawings, frances, franky, franky frances cannon, gallery, gold wake press, horse, horses, poetry, project, prose, publication, rabbit, sketches, writingFranky Frances Cannon

I can’t tell you everything, or anything, but I’ll tease you with some artwork! This book is coming out in the next season through GOLD WAKE PRESS.

The book-album is coming together. I’m honored to contribute art to Eric George’s new album.

I stick to music and it sticks to me, honey to a bee. Can’t help but collaborate. Cheers, Eric George! Here’s his music, our artwork.

October 27, 2016Uncategorizedart, collaboration, drawings, eric george, frances cannon, franky frances cannon, gallery, music, prints, project, sketches, songs, vermont, writingFranky Frances Cannon

I’m honored to work with this musical genius. He’s putting out a new album this season, and he asked me to illustrate his songbook. So I did, of course! “Pay up” on kickstarter and you might just get some of my original artwork. I’ve included a sneak peeks (illustration above).

Support Eric George’s project here

Collaboration, continued: art and song, in tandem

September 12, 2016Uncategorized100 songs, art, christopher the conquered, collaboration, drawings, franky frances cannon, iowa city, music, paintings, project, songFranky Frances Cannon

For those who follow my many art projects, check in on my collaboration with Christopher the Conquered. He is still writing songs and I am responding to them with drawings and paintings. I recently went to see him play in Iowa City, and was reminded how much of a storyteller he is on stage. Continue listening in to the 100 songs project, with Chris’s music and my art:

Book work. We make books. Books make us.

August 17, 2016Uncategorizedart, book, frances cannon, franky frances cannon, gallery, poetry, poetry-honeybee-press-burlington-vermont-franky-frances-cannon-uranian-fruit-poems-books, publication, revolutionary press, studio, vermont, writingFranky Frances Cannon

I must put out another song of gratitude for all those who helped me publish a book of poems this summer, and those who helped me thrive in my artist residency, produce art, and participate in the farmer’s market.

Thanks to Ben Aleshire and Honeybee Press for leading and guiding the book publishing efforts.

Thanks to John Vincent of Revolutionary Press for enabling the letterpress process in his New Haven studio.

Thanks to Joseph Pensak, Lydia Kerns, and the New City Galerie for hosting my messy artsy self (see the photo of my studio below).

Thanks to those who helped me copy edit (Sam, Ryan, Stef, Robert, Cecile, Janet, Liza, Rebecca, Ben, am I missing anyone?)

Thanks to those who helped print, bind, glue, and fold books, what a lot of work! (Liza, Sam, Janet, Ben)

Thanks to those who fed me and loved me throughout the process (Andrea Solazzo! And all of the others)…