Philadelphia Artist, Fran Lightman Gibson, wore Alembika UNDER THE SUN BUTTON DOWN SHIRT, MIX and ICONIC STRETCH JEANS, CITRON to her solo show at the Ceruleans Arts Gallery Reception.

“I have been a painter all my life, and have been painting full time for more than twenty years.

Another little known fact—except by those who know me —I am a 2 x breast cancer survivor. I had a bilateral mastectomy In Feb 2023 and a bad reaction to an immunotherapy that almost took my life.

My husband and daughter, who is a nurse, identified the reaction from a commercial disclaimer on television—and here I am.

I am emboldened and feeling victorious, hence my work below.”

IF YOU NEED A PLACE TO GO, TAKE ANY ROAD.™

ARTIST STATEMENT

My paintings are about the visual and psychological energy of the city expressed through the angularity of its architecture and infrastructure, painted with live, rapid, interesting brushstrokes.

This high energy is sometimes offset around the edges of the urban landscape by a very different treatment of trees, bushes, and grassy areas as an impression of dabs, dashes, lines, and scumbled paint.

 Although these paintings straddle and integrate impressionist and expressionist ethos, they represent two different stylistic trends. One is more expressionist, bold, and brushy. The other is more linear, graphic, and refined.

These paintings beckon the viewer through dramatic perspective and suggest a curiosity and a journey. Landscape or Cityscape, the metaphor of “Take Any Road,” is usually close at hand in the work.

Finally, there is a tease in these works to see the next level of detail, but the attempt is to have the viewer create that detail while viewing the paintings.  

I think we all see the world a little differently and feel our own experience uniquely. I paint using what all of my senses have given to me as the experience.

“Take Any Road” encourages the viewer to have the confidence to experience life no matter how difficult or confusing.

I paint emotions and stories, often blooming in bursts and dashes of color. My landscapes are built up of layers into rhythmic cadences and dissonance, complexity and suggestion, through a painterly surface tension that resolves into a lyrical narrative. Poetry, not prose.

I use loose and free brush marks in my work to show the dramatic light and energy that both represent and define the tension and optimism of life. I infuse my feelings of joy, playfulness, empathy, and hope into the story, a composition that responds to the mood and tempo of a place.

My paintings are purposely not detailed, leaving the viewer to feel enough to complete the images based on his or her own sense of belonging.

The longing to see loved ones and remember the people I have lost causes me to dwell in places real and imaginary – Philadelphia, New Mexico, or California.

My paintings are carpe diem.

They emphasize the brevity of life, an experience that is drawn and redrawn. One should be somewhere, whether in memory or desire, and live each moment to the fullest.

Emerging” DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass)

This is just one of her many NYC works. Visit Frangibson.com.

ARTIST STATEMENT

Early in my career, I was drawn to painting ice flows as a reflection of my immersion into the looming prospect of an Ice Age to come. Each brushstroke was a testament to the bare beauty and inevitable change of our natural world.

However, recent experiences have profoundly shifted my artistic focus. Last year, while hiking through the Canadian Rockies, I encountered the majestic glaciers firsthand. This journey took on deeper significance as it marked a personal triumph
over adversity.

Today, my artistic journey reflects this newfound perspective. I am captivated by thedelicate balance between fragility and treacherousness in our environment, particularly
the melting glaciers. These majestic formations, once symbols of permanence, now embody the urgent narrative of climate change and human impact.

Through my upcoming series of paintings, I aim to capture the essence of melting glaciers with a profound sense of empathy and urgency. Drawing inspiration from my experiences and fueled by a desire to raise awareness, I will use a palette that echoes the underlying dark prehistoric ice blues; serene blues ice turning to water; and greys of moraine, the deposits of glacial till. Each brushstroke will convey the emotional weight of simplicity of these magnificent movements and invite viewers to contemplate our subtle views and understanding as well as responsibility to rise up, swell fully, and preserve our planet.

My art is not just a reflection of personal triumphs and awareness of metaphors in nature;
it is a call to some kind of point of view and awareness. By exploring the intersection of
nature’s beauty and human resilience, I hope to spark conversations and inspire meaningful
discussion in how we perceive and protect our natural world.

With these paintings, I am excited to explore contemporary painting that challenges
traditional concepts of realism.

Fran is working on a book of her work in a collection of prints and observations to be published in 2025. Follow Fran on Instagram @frangibsonart and visit Frangibson.com.