Nick Francisco
2019 Featured Artist
Art on the River is pleased to welcome Nicholas Ryan Francisco as the Featured Artist for the 2019 event.
Nick was born on March 21, 1990 at Oakwood Hospital in Dearborn, Michigan. His parents share that as a small child he was a hand full to say the least. He always wanted two of everything; one for each hand. He would throw books out of hs crib and playpen like Frisbees. Apparently he did not like to read and preferred coloring on the walls.
He started his art career at the age of seven. Nick’s grandmother, Wilma Lenz, was a professional artist and they would work on art projects together in her studio. Her guidance, along with the art classes his mother enrolled him in, are the reasons he’s an artist today. However, at the age of twelve he slowly stopped pursuing his passions in art. He did a few good drawings at Port Huron High School’s art class that were exhibited at St. Clair County Community College’s art show. Nick shares that he has no idea why he stopped drawing, but it took fourteen years to start painting again.
While attending his last year at CMU, studying Business Information Systems, he felt like he was wasting a lot of his free time on unrewarding hobbies. Nick would spend hours watching TV shows on Netflix, and then he found Bob Ross’ show The Joy of Painting. After watching his show Nick decided that he should give it a shot considering he had all this free time, and all of his grandmothers art supplies left to him after her passing three years pior to this decision. It all came back to him very quickly and his friends and family started commissioning art from him. Later that year a painting was accepted in the CMU art show. He was very proud, especially considering almost all of the art accepted was done by Art Majors. Nick’s was the only one that was listed as Business Information Systems Major. After graduating, his friend Matt Wilcox asked if he could do a painting on old pallet wood. He gave it a shot and it turned out great. From there he started working with acrylics, as well as the oils he was used to.
Nick currently lives in Port Huron, which he considers his home town. He draws inspiration from his travels. Places such as Alaska, Bahamas, Colorado, Virginia, Florida, and Yellowstone National Park. He would consider his specialty to be oil or acrylic paintings on canvas or pallet wood, focusing on landscapes and animals, but he has done murals on indoor walls, crafted and painted wine racks, painted custom outdoor horse shoe pits and sculptures. That being said, he is always looking to try new things to challenge himself artistically.
Nick will be available throughout Art on the River this year, painting a very special painting commissioned specifically for the event. Several of Nick’s pieces will be available to purchase as well.
Nick was born on March 21, 1990 at Oakwood Hospital in Dearborn, Michigan. His parents share that as a small child he was a hand full to say the least. He always wanted two of everything; one for each hand. He would throw books out of hs crib and playpen like Frisbees. Apparently he did not like to read and preferred coloring on the walls.
He started his art career at the age of seven. Nick’s grandmother, Wilma Lenz, was a professional artist and they would work on art projects together in her studio. Her guidance, along with the art classes his mother enrolled him in, are the reasons he’s an artist today. However, at the age of twelve he slowly stopped pursuing his passions in art. He did a few good drawings at Port Huron High School’s art class that were exhibited at St. Clair County Community College’s art show. Nick shares that he has no idea why he stopped drawing, but it took fourteen years to start painting again.
While attending his last year at CMU, studying Business Information Systems, he felt like he was wasting a lot of his free time on unrewarding hobbies. Nick would spend hours watching TV shows on Netflix, and then he found Bob Ross’ show The Joy of Painting. After watching his show Nick decided that he should give it a shot considering he had all this free time, and all of his grandmothers art supplies left to him after her passing three years pior to this decision. It all came back to him very quickly and his friends and family started commissioning art from him. Later that year a painting was accepted in the CMU art show. He was very proud, especially considering almost all of the art accepted was done by Art Majors. Nick’s was the only one that was listed as Business Information Systems Major. After graduating, his friend Matt Wilcox asked if he could do a painting on old pallet wood. He gave it a shot and it turned out great. From there he started working with acrylics, as well as the oils he was used to.
Nick currently lives in Port Huron, which he considers his home town. He draws inspiration from his travels. Places such as Alaska, Bahamas, Colorado, Virginia, Florida, and Yellowstone National Park. He would consider his specialty to be oil or acrylic paintings on canvas or pallet wood, focusing on landscapes and animals, but he has done murals on indoor walls, crafted and painted wine racks, painted custom outdoor horse shoe pits and sculptures. That being said, he is always looking to try new things to challenge himself artistically.
Nick will be available throughout Art on the River this year, painting a very special painting commissioned specifically for the event. Several of Nick’s pieces will be available to purchase as well.
Grant for Nick Francisco and Art on the River given by
Featured Artists Paintings of Art on the River
Every year Art on the River commissions an artist to paint something for the event.
This is a look back at past Featured Artists paintings.
If you would like a print of these paintings, please contact
artontheriverph@gmail.com for more information.
This is a look back at past Featured Artists paintings.
If you would like a print of these paintings, please contact
artontheriverph@gmail.com for more information.
