I combed through a dozen of my sketchbooks, scanned my drawings, and created a coloring book. You can see Harriet in action, coloring the pages enthusiastically.
Sketchbook Coloring Book
Tag Archives: franky frances cannon
Block-print-zine
One of my favorite art mediums is relief printmaking, either woodcuts or linocuts. Up until this month, I had not yet thought to create a block-print-zine, and by Jove, it worked out swimmingly!
Giant poetry scroll for Art Hop
SEABA, or the South End Arts and Business Association of Burlington, VT, awarded me a mini-grant to create an installation for the annual South End Art Hop on Pine Street. I painted this tall illuminated poetry scroll in ink.
Ladybroad Ledger Comics!
The Ladybroad Ledger is a free femme Alt Comics newspaper in Vermont. They produce an annual publication to promote comics by femme and nonbinary Vermont cartoonists. What could be better? I’m a frequent contributor, and I’m pleased to have been included in the most recent issue, which you can find paper copies of around coffee shops, libraries, and bookstores around VT. Here are the comics of mine that they published in this recent issue:
Graphic autofiction
Fourth Genre has published my graphic essay about the process of writing autofiction, selected as a finalist for their multimedia essay prize, judged by @KristenRadtke for @FourthGenre . Take a read, and check out the other winners!
A BOOK for FRANCES—An old project, retrieved from the archives
I recently found this handmade book that I gave to my father as a gift several years ago (given my terrible memory, it could have been three years ago, or five… who knows). He named me after the badger in Russel Hoban’s “Frances” series, most notably: Bread and Jam for Frances, so I decided to write and illustrate my own version as a tribute to my Dad.
New publications in PROMPT PRESS
I’m thrilled to be published in the new Prompt Press book, Prompt 6, which is a collaborative collection of visual art responses to the prose poems of Francesca Abbate, designed by printmaker and bookmaker Rachel Kauff. I’m one of the six artists to respond to her work. You can view the responses here, but I recommend buying the book if you want to hold a beautiful handmade object d’art in your hands.
ALSO, I’m very pleased that Jennifer Colville, the editor extraordinaire, has published my graphic poem on their website. Check it out:
Tell me, Reykjavik
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.
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.
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:
TOUR DATES AND LOCATIONS
are still solidifying, but for now, here are the events that have already been booked and 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. Also, if you have suggestions for venues for the dates later in my tour (East Coast, mostly), reach out!
- Sept 29th, Fort Collins, Colorado, Reading and musical events at Wolverine Press Publick House, 7:30
- October 1rst at 6pm at Trident Booksellers & Cafe in Boulder, Colorado
- October 5th at 6:30 pm, reading at Beaverdale Books with Paul Brooke in Des Moines, Iowa
- Oct. 14th I will be reading from and selling my books at the Book Fair as part of the Iowa City Book Festival, downtown on the Ped Mall in Iowa City, 10am-4pm
- Oct 15th at the Iowa City Book Festival, I will be reading as part of the Day in the City of Literature on Sunday. Reading at Daydreams Comics with graphic novelist John Ira Thomas.
- Oct 16, Reading at 6-7pm at Volumes Bookcafe in Chicago, IL
- Oct 17, Reading time/place to be determined Philadelphia, PA
- Oct 17, Reading time/place to be determined in Ohio
- Oct 18, Reading time/place to be determined New York, NY
- Oct 19, Reading time/place to be determined New Haven, CT
- Oct 20, Reading time/place to be determined Amherst, MA
- Book release at either New City Galerie or The Hive (or both!) in late November in Burlington, VT
- 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
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!”
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.
FRANKY FRANCES CANNON 