Leanne Franson

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Calling ALL friends who are self-employed/run their own business, or want to support small businesses!

Post a link to your website or Facebook group below WITHOUT a description - just the link, it speaks for itself.(NOTE BY LEANNE: ADD A PHOTO OF YUR WORK IF YOUR KINK DOESN'T POST A THUMBNAIL OF YOUR WORK) Anyone who follows me can see it and visit your site.
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Copy this text onto your own page and give others the chance to reach more people through your circle. Visibility is everything! Especially with the holidays coming.

Let’s help each other out!

"Gordie's Skate", about the hockey legend Gordie Howe's first skate, is available in softcover and hardcover at McNally Robinson bookstore in Saskatoon. Illustrated by yours truly.

Gordie's Skate by Bill Waiser - McNally Robinson Booksellers Set in Saskatchewan during the Great Depression, this is the story of hockey legend Gordie Howe and his first experience with skating.

Book Launch! The book by Bill Waiser about the start of hockey hero Gordie Howe which I illustrated is now in bookstores!

The launch will be tomorrow, Saturday, April 22 at 1:30 pm at the Saskatoon main library branch, the Frances Morrison library, downtown Saskatoon.

I will be there, as well as Bill Waiser (I imagine) and members of the great Thistledown Press team.

See you there!!

Any Saskatoon friends? I will be at the Saskatoon Farmers Market this coming Sunday, 10-3pm.. I hope you'll come by to check out my ceramics and all the other Etsy vendors.

If you feel funny inside when you think of people dressed as princesses reading books to children, it's on you. You might want to keep your fantasies to yourself and stop pushing them on the rest of us, though.

Gordie's father was lucky to be employed....
"Gordie's Skate" by Bill Waiser, Illustrations Leanne Franson, Thistledown Press

Saskatoon streets. "Gordie's Skate", Bill Waiser author, Leanne Franson illustrator, Tumbleweed Press.

Gordie Howe taping his hockey stick, waiting for snow. From "Gordie's First Skate" by Bill Waiser, Tumbleweed Books, Saskatoon.

My Gordie Howe book will be coming out this spring!

Time for another cover reveal!

Next to release from our Spring 2023 lineup is GORDIE'S SKATE by Bill Waiser! Set in Saskatchewan during the Great Depression, this is the story of hockey legend Gordie Howe and his first experience with skating. The book is charmingly illustrated in full colour by Leanne Franson. Bill Waiser is a popular historian and Governor-General’s-Award-winning author.

Release date: April 15, 2023

Artwork: Leanne Franson

Visit the link below for more info and to pre-order!
https://thistledownpress.com/product/gordies-skate/

My new 'Stella" book came today! You may remember me posting work in progress. It is written by Jay Scoby, and edited and produced by .they always do a fantastic job, creating beautiful hardcover books I am proud to have worked on.

Painting the Gordie Howe picture book. It was a challenge to figure out how to do the crowds in a simple manner in the background so as not to distract from the foreground.

Let me know... does it work for you?

Please check out my talented bike aficionado friend Tim Brown 's Critters on Bikes October drawing challenge. He got his friends to name the animal and bike of choice to represent themselves and is doing one a day. Very creative and fun.

Critters on Bicycles Drawing Challenge 2022 Here is my list, so far, of the critters I'm going to be doing for my October 2022 Drawing challenge. Below each picture is a link to the or...

The incredible size of a grizzly bears paw.This picture was taken after the Bear was sedated to be tagged and released. This bear is alive

Image Credit for respective owners

hard-hitting paintings.

"When the wood go, wildlife goes": A Magazine Campaign Against Deforestation - Art-Sheep Anna Randal for Art-Sheep Sanctuary Asia is India’s first environmental news magazine, that often campaigns in order to raise awareness regarding environmental and wildlife issues. “When the wood go, wildlife goes” is a Sanctuary campaign that points out the danger the wildlife is in because o...

"Libraries are about freedom. Freedom to read, freedom of ideas, freedom of communication. They are about education, about entertainment, about making safe spaces, and about access to information."
-- Neil Gaiman

Happy doggy!!!
It's so fun to tighten up all the Illustrations, adding details, darkening areas to provide contrast, adding shadows for depth.

How does your dog feel about baths? Our little hero isn't so happy!

I drag (carry?) my Doggy Bella into our glass shower stall so she cannot escape, and plasters herself against the wall so hard it is hard to wash both sides! It will be her turn soon though, as I want to do it before it gets too chill during the day.

Coming along! I have to do washes everywhere to put nighttime lighting and shadows. Our little hero isn't black here yet.

Things are coming together. The doggies now have a bowl...

More doggies! I counted there are 59 appearances of our little black and white heroine (speaking here) for me to paint in this picture book! Work in Progress.

Brilliant.

A bunch of doggies. Work in progress.

Painting greens. My palette always looks so pretty.

Saskatchewan peeps!! Come to the Broadway Street Fair this Saturday Sept. 10 from 10AM to 5PM! It will be a great time... performances, food, crafts, clothing, and US!

Come by our Scattered Fingers ceramics booth, across from The Better Good and Handmade House! Lots of new pieces, and another raffle for a custom made pet or other animal!

I am not a big fan of drawing cars, but these vintage ones from the 1920s and 30s are fun! Yes, Gordie Howe skated on Saskatoon winter streets, which still have icy ruts!

Drawing sketches with digital pencil in Clip Studio Paint on my large Cintiq.

Working on sketches for my current picture book. Digital pencil in Clip Studio Paint.

Yes, the boy's skate looks all wonky. It is a big man's skate and he only has one.