FL CONCEPTOR

HAND-PAINTED Keepsake: 'LAYERS OF TIME'©

2012-01-20T15:53:00.001+09:00

'LAYERS OF TIME'©

The keepsakes in the 'LAYERS OF TIME'© collection are a celebration of our heritage, natural or cultural, through time. The collection displays vintage or fossilized motifs - such as imaginary intertwined leaves whose solid-colored veins permeated by bundles of energy seem to defy the very nature of space and time. The hard-acrylic paints that I used to create these motifs intend to instill a spark of life into fossilized leaves as if sap was still flowing through their veins. The textured-painting allows to create special tactile sensations to the fingertips thus adding to the visual and emotional impact of the overall motif while challenging the viewer's senses.

HAND-PAINTED Keepsake: 'LIFE-MOSAIC'©

2012-01-20T14:52:00.000+09:00

'LIFE-MOSAIC'©

Sprinkled with designs that recall decorative marquetry or tile work, and stained-glass compositions, the hand-painted motifs on album-cover in the 'LIFE-MOSAIC'© collection represent glimpses into the journey of our lives. Peppered with soft acrylic dots applied with a thin brush, the unique textures presented in this collection are created using various acrylic paint combinations of earthy or woody colors and rich tones that give warmth and depth to the artwork.

EXHIBITIONS Year 2012

2012-01-18T23:48:00.001+09:00

INK Drawing: Year 2012

2012-01-01T18:32:00.019+09:00

Ink drawing on professional photo canvas paper.

EXHIBITIONS Year 2011

2011-11-30T17:24:00.027+09:00

'ROOM WITH A VIEW'© HIGHLIGHTS
29 NOVEMBER 2011@HIKARI HOME

'DREAM IN COLORS'© HIGHLIGHTS

15 SEPTEMBER 2011@OAKWOOD Premier Tokyo Midtown

SCULPTURE 'Window to the Soul'©: Highlights Year 2011

2011-11-21T15:05:00.010+09:00

Although abstract painting and abstract sculpture are two different art forms, they share a similar philosophy: both styles choose to focus on shapes and free expression and they both try to separate themselves from the norms of their medium to transcend reality.

Direct carving is a way of reconnecting with the anatomy of form as well as a way of freeing my own spirit and that of the medium, to open a 'Window to the Soul'.

INK Drawing: Highlights Year 2011

2011-11-07T23:31:00.012+09:00

Played with contrast between dark and light and used only ink (no pen) for this portrait.

HAND-PAINTED Canvas: Highlights Year 2011

2011-09-11T20:01:00.063+09:00

FL artwork @ MAISON LANDEMAINE-Paris Office

2011-08-27T13:03:00.004+09:00

'STRENGTH'© Acrylic on Canvas, F50 (H115cm x W91cm)

‎The large size acrylic painting I created for MAISON LANDEMAINE, safely reached the newly refurbished office of Rodolphe and Yoshimi Landemaine in Paris.
MAISON LANDEMAINE won the 2011 BEST BAKER AWARD in Paris and opened a very successful bakery school in Tokyo in 2010 ('Ecole Levain d'Antan' Tokyo, http://ecole.landemaine.me/).

MAISON LANDEMAINE in Paris: 26 rue des Martyrs, 56 rue de Clichy, 130 rue de la Roquette and 136 rue de la Roquette.

PUBLIC ART [Fukushima-Japan] Year 2011

2011-07-29T17:58:00.014+09:00

'Oleander was the first flower to blossom from the earth that had been supposed incapable of supporting plant-life for 75 years, as such it gave hope and strength to the residents as they poured their utmost efforts into rebuilding the city of Hiroshima. Just like this flower became a symbolic message and inspired the residents to keep faith in their future, I wish that the two messengers depicted in my paintings and that are both carrying heart-shaped flowers under their arms, can symbolically convey to the city of Fukushima and its people all the love and hope needed to overcome adversities. I wish these messengers, THE LOVE-BEARER and THE HOPE-BEARER, can fill the heart and nurture the soul of all people to give them strength throughout their lives while moving towards a brighter future for them and for their children.' Francoise Lions

' 夾竹桃は、７５年間は植物が育つことはないと思われていた

広島で最初に咲いた花で、

街の復興に全力を注ぐ広島の方々に希望と力を与えました。

この花が象徴的なメッセージとなり将来への信念を支えたように、

私の作品に描かれるハート型の花を抱えた２人のメッセンジャーが、

福島の皆様に逆境を克服するための

愛と希望を届けることのできるよう願っております。

皆様が自身やこどもたちの明るい将来に向けて邁進するなか、

このメッセンジャー、愛の使者と希望の使者が皆様の

心を満たし精神を癒し、

生涯にわたり力になることができれば幸いです。'
リオンス・フランソワーズ

HAND-PAINTED Canvas: 2007~2010 Highlights

2011-07-06T00:01:00.009+09:00

'ART FOR THE SPIRIT' [2010]©

'ART FOR THE SPIRIT' [2009]©

'ART FOR THE SPIRIT' [2008]©

'ART FOR THE SPIRIT' [2007]©

HAND-PAINTED Keepsake: 'FAMILY LEGACY'©

2011-06-01T22:05:00.023+09:00

This collection is dedicated to the preservation of significant events in people's life.

'BABY MILESTONE'©

The baby buggy symbolizes the contemporary human version of a bird's nest that embodies all that is greatest in a creature's life: love, parenthood and duty as well as a sense of beauty. To raise their descendance to the point of independence, the adult birds - and in some species the young from previous broods - participate to the construction of the nest just as human families learn how to support one another, to live together and also to create the bonds of love and understanding between all family members. A wonderful shower gift or a special present to parents who want to treasure up the memories of their baby's first steps in life. Interview 'TOKYO Families' magazine:
http://www.tokyofamilies.com/sections/entry.php?id=513

'WEDDING'©

Showcasing a luminous palette of colors that wholeheartedly conveys the swirl of love emotions, my new collection takes the concept of love heart-shapes, infuses it with dazzling colors, combines it with rich textures, and creates vibrant compositions that make the keepsake covers sparkle and shimmer. With the uniqueness of the hand-painted motifs, this series gives a new dimension to the traditional keepsake by adding a highly artistic touch to the wedding recollections. If you have been invited to attend a wedding and want to select a meaningful gift or if you are getting married and looking for a special way to treasure the best moments of your 'big day', order an exquisite keepsake that will prolong the magic of such a unique lifetime event.

'KIDS'©

This series is the newest addition to my collection that every youngster around the globe who love cool animals should be thrilled to receive. The heartwarming hand-painted motifs in this series will inspire your kids to relive and preserve the memories of their special experiences. The keepsake self-adhesive pages make it very easy, even for young kids, to tuck photos or memorabilia - by themselves or with a little help from a grown-up. Perfect for a birthday present for your child or for your friends little one's!

HAND-PAINTED Keepsake: 'FLORAL'©

2011-06-01T22:00:00.009+09:00

With every dawning spring, nature sets forth her messages in flower-symbols to teach us the lesson of renewal, birth and change. It is a time when we feel invigorated and look deeper into the garden that is our soul to prune away and to pull out the weeds as well as to nurture the areas that need light. The artwork in this collection pays tribute to springtime energy with a riot of colors and shapes, joyfully basking in warm sunlight and playfully glittering against plain textured backgrounds. I wish this collection inspires you to enjoy journaling your thoughts and dreams about what you would like to plant in your life at this season, as part of all the invaluable memories of your journey through life.

HAND-PAINTED Keepsake: 'CULINARY'©

2011-06-01T21:30:00.009+09:00

Peppered with reminiscences of the European paintings of the past, this collection is practical nostalgia designed to satisfy the interest of home cooks in continuing the tradition of organizing and keeping together their old or new original recipes in a personal-cookbook keepsake or to providing you with a unique way to record emotions, guests' messages and to chronicle your social gatherings and shared meals. This collection allows you to journal your memorable experiences around food or to gather together your favorite recipes for a timeless celebration of your culinary history and a reminiscence of the quality time spent around the table, with friends and family, enjoying the delicious food, beverage, conversation and laughter.

HAND-PAINTED Keepsake: 'MUSIC AFICIONADO'©

2011-06-01T21:20:00.004+09:00

Listening to a variety of music while painting, naturally led me to create this special collection.
Dedicated to Music Lovers, the artwork tries to convey the flow of emotions that music can invoke and the intangible essence of vibrations into the worlds of colors and shapes.

HAND-PAINTED Keepsake: 'NATION'©

2011-06-01T21:00:00.025+09:00

'JAPAN'© [Vol.4]

The creations in this collection revolve around the long and rich history of elegant Japanese lacquer ware and its various auspicious motifs. Cherry blossoms (symbol of beauty and the transient nature of life), bamboo (which represents strength of character) or dragonfly (that was believed in mythology to be the spirit of the rice plant and a harbinger of rich harvests) stand against a black, night blue or gold background that brings added luxury and mystery to the hand-painted creations. The final layer of glossy varnish applied on top of the motifs reminds the lacquer finishing by giving the design a beautiful bright sheen and by increasing the depth and intensity of color while protecting it from dirt and polluants.

Dating back to at least the fifth century, fans were a part of both social life and court life in Asia and later in Europe. Today fans remain very important in Japanese culture and still carry a significant symbolism notably the shape of the fan itself in which the top of the handle symbolizes the beginning of life and the ribs stand for the roads of life going out in all directions to bring good fortune and happiness. The new 'Obi' belt creations in this collection pay tribute to this beautiful accessory as the continuation of a heritage and the strengthening of a bond. Standing on rich textured-background, the keepsakes are imbued with a serene yet invigorating atmosphere marking the dawn of a new year.

Revolving around free interpretations of some of the patterns seen on Japanese fabrics, the motifs in this collection continue to be inspired by the variety and uniqueness of Japanese culture. Commissioned to design a catalog for a Japanese kimono company allowed me to further dive into the richness of the Japanese kimono and obi fabrics. This experience undoubtedly accounted for the creations presented in this collection. Band-shaped, the layout of each keepsake-cover in this collection evokes the contours of a 'Obi' belt whereas contrasted textured-colors give depth and intensity to the elegant and aesthetic motifs representing natural subjects, mainly flowers and foliage motifs that abound in Japanese textile tradition.

Japanese culture is filled with long-standing traditions in which certain colors and shapes have come to carry certain meanings or express emotions. These colors and shapes have been the source of inspiration for this collection.
From its inception, ORIGAMI ('paper folding') has held an honored place in ceremonies to help commemorate the occasion in a unique, hand-crafted manner. The shape creation is a way of adding special meaning to what the paper held on it or in it. For love notes, origami was doubly special. First, the origami shape itself could represent a message. The selection of color and shape help conveyed the true emotions of the writer. Second, origami is an intricate art. If the love note was intercepted, it would be unlikely that the reader could perfectly refold the shape. So the origami love note was very secure - it could not be read by the wrong person without the recipient knowing it.

'HAWAII'©

This collection draws inspiration and elements from the multiple layers of the human connection with nature. The real rough tactile texture, that one can see as well as feel by touching the surface of the keepsake, embodies and evokes the earth as a true celebration of the stunning landscapes of Hawaii. The ancient Hawaiians did not view nature as being something separate from themselves because nature was their reality. Today, it is an attitude or a way of life sometimes called 'The Aloha Spirit' and I wish that my collection could contribute to perpetuating this spirit.

As a teacher, composer, recording artist, entertainer and producer Herb Ohta, Jr. solidly establishes himself in the company of musicians who promote the 'ukulele in the music landscape today. It is Herb's goal to share the beauty of Hawaii's music, its culture and the 'ukulele with people all over the world. Herb has performed throughout the state of Hawaii and has traveled overseas to Japan and the mainland USA. Herb Ohta, Jr. is certainly a vanguard in this new generation of 'ukulele players and it was a great honor and pleasure for me to meet with him on a few occasions this year and to discover his fantastic uplifting music. This series of hand-painted 'ukulele motif on keepsake cover was inspired by and is dedicated to Herb Ohta, Jr. Delivered with a signed certificate of authenticity as well as a series number, each photo-album cover bears Herb Ohta, Jr.'s autograph. Only 30 keepsakes available worlwide.

Part of the proceeds from the sales will go to support Herb Ohta Jr's foundation. www.herbohtajr.com, www.herohtajr.net

Saved from urbanization by people's love and passion for cultural heritage preservation, the 'Dragon Kiln'(*) is the source of inspiration behind this collection. The hand- painted motifs and the glossy varnish applied, as a finishing coat, on top of the design in this keepsake collection are a reminiscence of the complex interaction between flame, wood ash, and the minerals of the clay body that form a natural glaze highlighting the dramatic color shifts. (*) A brick-built tunnel constructed on hill sides with the fire box in front and side-stoking holes at the sides, the 'Dragon Kiln' (L43mxH2.2mxW2.5m) resembles, during firing a recumbent dragon with fire spewing from its nostrils. Built by Mr. Lee Yon Lee and his friends in 1958, it remains a perfectly functioning kiln representative of a long established and well-refined technology passed on to the present generation from migrant forefathers and is now part of Singapore's national heritage.

2011-06-01T20:10:00.008+09:00

Get ready to be submerged in a deluge of colours with the bumpy textures of this series!From vibrant purples, vivacious greens, and shocking pinks to icy blues, metallic silvers and antique golds, the keepsake covers in this series play with the opposition of cool and warm colours. The hand-painted motifs attempt to display, through these contrasts, the palette of emotions one can experience when viewing the numerous sparkling raindrops, captured on the surface of a raw soil, forest or garden stones and house roof tiles, that bask in the sunshine after the rain.

Aiming at inspiring Cigar and Wine Lovers to record all of those memorable smokes or great souvenirs of rare bottles of wine linked with life's special times, the keepsakes in this series display lively hand-painted motifs that represent intertwined leaves whose solid-colored veins are permeated by bundles of energy. The hard-acrylic paints that I use to draw various foliage shapes intend to instill a spark of life into these imaginary leaves as if sap was flowing through their veins. The textured-painting allows to create special tactile sensations to the fingertips thus adding to the visual and emotional impact of the overall motif while challenging the viewer's senses. With the keepsakes in this series, you will be ready to enjoy to the fullest the experience that starts with smoking a fine cigar or with drinking a great wine and extends to keeping the cigar bands or labels of wine bottles from all over the world, as a reminder of all your unique occasions and fond memories that are worth journaling.

'WEAVING'©

We are all weavers: day by day we work in the threads that are to go into the finished pattern of our lives, while fundamental inter-connectedeness pulls together this complex fabric of human existence to make the mantel which will clothe society. Revolving around this concept, this series display a network of filaments of soft acrylic paint, superimposed over textured motifs, that stands as a metaphysical visual and tactile metaphor for the canvas of our lives. Enhancing the design emotional resonance by contributing to its bonding mood, the ligaments of paints in this series symbolically build an infinity of small brigdes that connect together the design elements, as if steadily and persistently weaving new, peaceful and richer connections between people at the interstices of space and time.

AUDIO-SPEAKERS Design

2011-06-01T20:00:00.006+09:00

For the ultimate in chic home or office decor, BAUXAR offers hi-tech speakers* that combine both style and function with a choice to have either a customized design or a specially designed 'skin' by Francoise Lions.

I met with Mr. Wei, president of BAUXAR, on the occasion of one of my artshows in Tokyo. The music at the venue was coming from two plain white speakers featuring a very interesting and unique tower design. The sound was very clear and I was puzzled to discover that it was coming from the top of these tiny fashionable towers. Mr. Wei explained me that these MARTY101 were BAUXAR's all new high technology speakers. He promptly connected his iPod to the device and made me listen to a wide selection of music from his favourite jazz music to Japanese pop while initiating me to the technology behind the product. I started to visualize some original paintings that I thought would look nice on these speakers and a few weeks later, 'ONDES'© and 'CRESCENDO'©, the original paintings I created for the speakers were scanned, copied on a 3M film and then professionally mounted on the speaker towers.
'ONDES'© is a French word for waves. The black and white painting symbolizes music waves, electric waves, ocean waves, all flowing throughout the body of the speakers.

'CRESCENDO'©, besides being used as a musical term, is sometimes used figuratively to indicate rising intensity in general. The cherry red color represents the solfege notes while the black and white represent a music partition. Both the notes and partition are caught up in an imaginary ballet orchestred by the sound of the music that comes out from the speakers.

* BauXar Marty 101 MartyWear Speakers score high on sound quality with a built-in amplifier to power the 360-degree sound coming from the mini-plug audio-in. The Built-in 6W amplifier for better and clearer sound adopts ABS resin material, which smoothly transmits the sound wave. Featuring a unique tower design (W85 x D105 x H310 mm), it has a convenient universal 100~240V voltage adaptor so you can playback anywhere in the world. Weighs about 1,800 gms and has Input impedance: 7k ohms or more and playback technology: Timed main theory. http://www.bauxar.com/

'HEAVENLY FOREST'© was made exclusively for BAUXAR client and a one-off limited edition. It projects the image of a forest opening up to reveal divine rolling waves of rich bronze trees, crisp black stems, and green, raw sienna, red as well as extraordinary violet leaves lulled by the music that is gently carried by the wind. A personal interaction with BAUXAR client, allowed me to 'visualize' the space, a house nestled in the Japanese Alps, in which the speakers would be integrated and to let my imagination wander around the elements that would surround the design: the greenery and sunlight through the bay windows, the brick walls and wooden floor in the living room, the central fireplace,... The hand-painted artwork I created was then professionally scanned, copied on a 3M film and mounted on the speaker towers.

2011-06-01T19:00:00.012+09:00

The watercolor painting I made for 'LET THEM LIVE' (novel by Chris Chidume C.), represents Michael and Beatrice, two children affected by the AIDS scourge who overcome their obstacles and go on to win a prestigious UN awards. The main characters of the novel, two innocent African children, face each other with mixed feelings of uncertainty, hope and faith on a red background as the Red Ribbon, the global symbol for solidarity with HIV-positive people and those living with AIDS.

The book was successfully launched on 1st December 2009 on the occasion of 'WORLD AIDS DAY' with the support of eminent personalities.