AUGUST 12, 2022. GRACE EBERT

Day 75, “Always There, Always Changing.” All images © Graham Franciose

Many days, artist and illustrator Graham Franciose sits down with watercolor, gouache, and a small sheet of cotton paper to paint a whimsical scene or surreal moment. A skateboarder carries a tree in a backpack, an anxious figure peeks through a colorful monster mask, and an oversized lion snarls at an approaching man. “I like to do these first thing in the morning when I am still not fully awake and start with a blank slate and no preconceived idea,” he tells Colossal.

Day 76, “How to Be Brave”

Dreamlike in style and subject matter, the works are part of an ongoing series simply titled Morning Coffee Paintings. […]

Day 78, “Shroom Shade”

Continue reading: In Graham Franciose’s ‘Morning Coffee Paintings,’ Dreamlike Watercolor Works Capture the Day’s Unmediated Emotion