A chance encounter convinced aspiring artist to quit his job and invest in himself
A chance meeting with the executive director of the Charlotte Art League late last year prompted Francesko Art to change his life.
Francesko was painting his first mural at Oso Skate Park, then in the Belmont neighborhood near uptown. Charlotte Art League’s Jim Dukes walked by and commented on his work. That conversation led to a tour of CAL, a nonprofit with studio space, a public gallery and community outreach programs.
Within days, Francesko had a key to the building.
“I was inspired,” he said. “I had the money. I had the means. I said, ‘Why don’t I invest in myself?’ ”
So the Charlotte artist quit his retail job, rented art studio space and began pursuing drawing and painting full-time.
Cartoons, comics, caricatures
A Charlotte native, Franceko’s given name is Frances Wabibi. In 2012, he started using the name Francesko and signing his work “Francesko Art.”
In 2019 he refocused his life and began creating again.
For the past two years he has participated in InkTober, an event where site founder and illustrator Jake Parker sends a word prompt each day in October. For Francesko, the word “fancy” generated a black and white drawing of the musician Prince.
For “teeth,” Francesko drew Charlotte rapper DaBaby doing dental work on a friend.
Francesko started a series featuring aliens, bears, captains, teachers and turtles. Each themed painting includes several examples of the subject.
“Captains,” which was in Charlotte Art League’s Winter Juried Show, incorporates Franceko’s favorite captains from his childhood: Captain Planet from the television show “Captain Planet and the Planeteers”, Marvel Comics’ superhero Captain America, Captain Falcon from the F-Zero video game and Cap’n Crunch.
A ‘totally different’ person
Francesko’s passion for creating started early.
He remembers drawing during nap time in preschool. He kept drawing through middle and high school. He’d draw every chance he’d get, he said, even if it meant drawing during class and getting in trouble with teachers.
Friends requested drawings from “Dragon Ball Z,” a Japanese anime television series. And he got used to teachers taking away his artwork.
A middle school counselor at what was then Smith Academy of International Languages recognized Francesko’s talent and recommended he apply to Northwest School of the Arts, a CMS magnet school. Francesko presented his sketchbook at the audition and was accepted.
“Me being young, and I guess dumb at that time, I didn’t really appreciate the opportunity and the privilege just to be in that school,” he said. “I didn’t do too well and I got kicked out.”
After ninth grade at Northwest, he transferred to Olympic High, then attended two more schools before graduating from Garinger High in 2010. He then worked in fast food restaurants and retail shops and took a few graphic art and design classes at Central Piedmont Community College.
In 2010 and 2011, Francesko served community service hours for misdemeanor charges related to shoplifting. It was a learning experience, he said.
“I know I changed,” he said. “I carry myself totally different now. I am very mindful about who I associate with.”
A brief bout with depression caused by a relationship and a life crisis slowed him down about five years ago, he said. “When I was going through it, I was definitely trying to create anything just to take the pain away,” Francesko said. “I didn’t want to think about what I was going through at that time. I was trying to stay inspired.”
David Spellmon has known Francesko and his family for 20 years and owns two of his paintings.
Spellmon works in CMS’s Student Discipline and Behavior Support Department and is one of the hosts for the podcast, “Jack of All Spades.” He recently authored the book, “Just Like Music: Social Emotional Learning Inspired by Hip-Hop.” Francesko designed the cover.
Spellmon sees Francesko’s new connection to the art league as a positive move because of the coaching he can get from being part of a community of artists.
“(Francesko’s) always been so talented,” Spellmon said. “He’s finally coming out of his shell and meeting the right kind of people, evolving on a wider scale. I don’t think there’s anything he can’t do.”
Ask him about his art
Francesko, now 30, sometimes spends 10 hours a day in his CAL studio. Drawings of cartoon-like faces with jagged teeth and no pupils represent his whimsical side.
“I do sketch every now and then,” he said, “but I like to freehand with a marker or brush.”
The studio space also serves as his gallery. He’s making a living selling original artwork, taking commissions and designing company logos and album covers. He works on canvas or paper, usually freehand with marker or paintbrush.
He says his style of art can be described as abstract and original, adding. “My favorite mediums are acrylics and watercolors. I create cartoons, comics and caricatures.”
Francesko says he often interprets scenes he sees on TV, in music or in real life. He encourages people to ask questions about his work.
“I want people to question (artwork) or even ask,” he said. “It’s why I do it. I definitely have people ask me what I had on my mind when I drew something. I don’t create them just to make money off of it; there’s always a meaning.”
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This story was originally published February 10, 2021 at 7:37 AM.