Limited Edition Print on Sale until March 4

I'm offering a limited edition (10) of "Easter Island" this week by publisher fineartamerica.com. This print is 16 x 20 inch stretched on canvas. The sale only lasts until March 4, 2013. Visit www.fineartamerica.com/weeklypromotion.html?promotionid=108164 to see the work and the details. Some find the background pattern in Easter Island suggestive of the Eye of God, ojo de Dios. -- Karen Francis

Music Makes a Film

Part of making a film involves selecting music for the scenes.   CHRISTMAS RIDE is very lucky to have two songs in it by Danny Jones and one song by Marty Ray.  Danny Jones' songs can often be found in several Christian faith based films, including the new release Secrets in the Snow.    Marty Ray got a role in a new upcoming musical film about Patsy Cline.  His music is on the internet at Reverbnation.com.       Sometimes a scene needs suspenseful music behind it or other music to enhance the emotional effect. While making short videos which I uploaded to YouTube, I learned about a website by Kevin MacLeod called http://incompetech.com/   This musician composer offers many free downloads of music. His music often finds its way into my productions.  A donation is recommended for use of his music.  His music is in several films.  
A number of other songs are desired for CHRISTMAS RIDE.  Some of the artists and their albums have been pinned to a board I've started on Pinterest. Please visit and follow.  Also, there is a group board about films which you may add pins to there.   

Kate portrait artist Paul Emsley 'I tried my best'

Townhouse for RENT or SALE in Cordova TN

This three bedroom (two up, one downstairs), two bath townhouse is for rent or sale in Cordova, TN.   It has a

• fireplace, cathedral ceilings, front loading washer dryer, ceiling fan, w/w carpet in bedrooms
• fenced in backyard, patio and parking pad.  
• extra insulation in the attic
• relatively recent new floor, tile and paint
• access to community pool and tennis court
• These garden style town homes are near Germantown Parkway N. close to Wolf Chase Mall, Bellevue Baptist and other churches, dining, grocery stores, shopping and Rt 40.  
• Call/text 901 289-4939 for details or write kfrancis427@gmail.com   
• Available March 1, 2013. 

Do You Collect Greeting Cards?

Here is a link Art Promotions is sponsoring on Fine Art America, the authorized publisher of my art prints.

art promotions greeting cards

This page  shows various artists' works as greeting cards, including mine.  You may order these cards one at a time, or by ten or a box of 25.  They may be printed custom with whatever words you like.  Some groups may wish to use these as fundraisers, or individuals may like them for invitations. 

To see the cards, click here.

In addition to the ones shown on this page, any of my paintings (and over 100 have been uploaded to Fine Art America) may be ordered as cards.   These cards are not printed until someone orders them.   I have ordered a couple myself and the printing is very high quality.  You may pay via pay pal or credit card. 

In case the links above don't work, here is the location:
http://fineartamerica.com/art/all/art+promotions/greeting+cards



--Karen Francis

The Filming of CHRISTMAS RIDE Photos

HAPPY NEW YEAR. Here are some photos of cast and crew of CHRISTMAS RIDE which began filming November 29, 2012. More on facebook.com/ChristmasRide (Please visit and Like Us there!)

These and other photos may also be posted on Pinterest My board is called Paintings of Note and Christmas Ride Visuals.

Cast Members of CHRISTMAS RIDE | Photos | Focus

Cast Members of CHRISTMAS RIDE | Photos | Focus

Filming of CHRISTMAS RIDE in Progress

In nearly freezing temperatures last night with wind whipping around us, the intrepid cast and crew of CHRISTMAS RIDE braved the elements to film a scene outside in Covington, TN. Many thanks to Thornton Home Furnishings for supplying the truck. Afterwards everyone enjoyed wings supplied by Wings Stop of Cordova (between Dexter and Bonnie Road) back in Studio A of Yarbrough Media Productions located in Certified Transmissions on Highway 51.

Jeff Yarbrough, cinematographer, continuously surprises with his ability to find new and unique angles for the shots on the Nikon 5900 DSLR camera he utilizes for this film. The cast includes the captivating Brittney Ham of Atoka, and skillful H T Altman of Minnesota as the co-leads. He is a veteran of 16 feature films. The cast also includes the talents of Miss Reagan Britt Mullins of Bartlett, and Master Russell Walden of Denmark, TN, each new to the screen.

In supporting roles are the impressive Shelley Van de Voort and Frank des Lauriers of Covington, skilled actors who prepare thoroughly and diligently for every detail of each scene. Other cast members hail from Munford and Ripley, Tn.

Two sound companies and various film editors from Memphis are working for Art Promotions on the production team.

More details about others in the Cast and the production are on www.facebook.com/ChristmasRide and artprofilms.weebly.com

Thanks to Our Veterans

Thanks go out to all the veterans and men and women serving the United States of America yesterday, today and tomorrow. Here is a beautiful song by a talented young person and video discovered on YouTube:

Walking through the Gardens Video

Kyle Russell: Making Music

Read More

Jason Pulley: Live Music Performance

Read More

Homecoming Weekend

Hope everyone is enjoying the fabulous fall weather on this spectacular Homecoming Weekend.   Go Lynx.  Or did they change the mascot too?   I went to visit the college I where I graduated yesterday.  After I purchased a few items in the bookstore I began to stare at the wall of floor to ceiling windows in the back of the room.  I could tell the young sales clerk thought I was having a senior moment or something.  The problem was force of habit.   When I went to school there, this building was the student center, not a store.   This room was where people hung out between classes and played cards, picked up a newspaper or bought a snack.  And there were glass doors that led to the patio outside where professors often sat reading, not windows.  This building was a passageway.  Naturally, they had closed it off when it was converted to a store selling books and alumni gift items.  The student center is now much larger, nearer the new gym and swimming pool which didn't exist before.  So there was no door I could exit through where I was staring.  It was a bit like the name of that play I performed in while there, No Exit.  Happily, at this point, I can still remember where the other doors are.

Painting in an Online Auction

I have one original oil painting on Fanbox.com 's auction now.  The auction runs through Saturday Oct 13.
http://www.fanbox.com/Provide/Listing.aspx?listing=AG8msJ5syskNLjcnqfO4Jg2&
If you like blue, this one is for you.

Posters by Karen Francis

Hi, Only five days left on the sale of original paintings.  In addition I am adding here a link to the lower price side of things, the Poster Prints.  karen francis posters 

The 30 day money back satisfaction is included with every purchase from fineartamerica.com, the authorized publisher of high quality prints for Art Promotions.  Vary the size or format and see the prices change.  These Poster Prints typically come rolled in a tube for you to frame.    I hope you will find something that will make a collector of my works out of you. 

Original Paintings by Karen Francis

Sometimes I get inquiries about where one can see a listing of original paintings by me, Karen Francis, with the prices. Here is a good link:

karen francis painting originals

There is a sale on until the end of August on the originals with 35% savings off the list price.  To purchase, write me at kfrancis427@gmail.com   When you click on the painting image or its title you will be carried to a larger version of the work with details about its size. Credit cards are accepted through Pay Pal.

Adopt One Hundred Orphans by Christmas

The Orphan Foundation is working very hard to help one hundred orphans find homes by Christmas.  That is only two per state.   There is a lot of information about this group on the web and on the indiegogo.com website.  This organization needs help from people like you and your friends.  Do you know someone who said they would like to adopt a child? Singles are eligible to adopt.   Here is the link info. Double Click on the word Rescue . . .

Christmas Ride Goes through Writer's Table Read

The screenplay Christmas Ride was read aloud and critiqued by those attending the Memphis writer's group, Script Write, on Tuesday July 24 at Republic Coffee.  The process was filmed and recorded.  I am revisiting the script to consider adjusting it based on the suggestions made and fine-tuning the the dialogue.

A big thank you to the financial supporters on the indiegogo campaign and Script Write participants for making this step in the making of Christmas Ride possible.   While the campaign did not reach its goal, your encouragement gives me feedback about what to do next.

ART PROMOTIONS is all about prints, paintings, and productions. On the Production side:

I participated in  the 48 Hour film project  in a group named By Faith Films and we created "Blind Date" in the category we drew  by chance, Dark Comedy.  In this team effort of mostly strangers, with no pay, we produced a short  film limited to 8 mins or less within the 48 hours.  The logline for Blind Date is--  A man widowed for a year goes on a blind date.   We filmed at the Memphis landmarks of Elmwood Cemetery and The Edge coffee house at its S. Cooper location which is going to have a drive through available soon.   There will be a screening of all the films (around 9 teams participated) which successfully met the criteria of the competition at the Malco Studio on the Square on Tuesday night, July 17.  Tickets are $10.  

Also, we are in the last 15 hours of the www. indiegogo.com/ChristmasRide campaign for funding a feature film.  There are seven videos in the Gallery section of the website plus the teaser at  http://igg.me/p/100795?a=462433

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY FOR ALL

    Wishing you all a Happy Fourth of July from Memphis on the big muddy Mississippi River, the city where music plays day and night and barbeque flows like waves on the ocean.

     Fireworks started on Sunday here at a big Baptist Church campus nearby.  Families gathered for picnics on the lawn, and shared their bread and the Word of God.  Last night a suburb shot off its fireworks.  Families gathered around the performing arts center and at homes eating hot dogs, and it's "pass the mustard, please, and have some more of this here sweet tea."

    Then dragging lawn chairs outside, they sat in front yards, in driveways, and even in the street watching as the fireworks burst forth in the sky, reminiscing over Fourth’s gone by and as the little ones saw their first, wondered if this one would be their last.

    I enjoy the patriotic music wafting through the broken window.  I hear Cohen, Sousa, Berlin, Howe, and wonder if I’m related to Samuel Francis Smith or Francis Scott Key.  I am reminded of all the sacrifices made by those before us and around us to bring freedom to this country and keep it.  Today I think of the great debate about Health Care in America.  When our country started out so long ago, there weren’t many people here, compared to today.  Science had not advanced so far in its healing measures.    Though our forefathers wrote words of unity, people were more self- reliant.  They grew their own food, made their own clothes.  Think about it.  Today most of us are more dependent on others for everything, electricity, water, food.  Our jobs (if we have one at all) are more specialized.    Our country was established by struggling immigrants to this new land.  We were poor in riches, but rich in spirit.  Today, we have a very wealthy nation, despite all the troubles we face. 

    Our government has the means to deliver health care to everyone.   And what greater service can a government provide to its people, than providing for the Health of its people?   Insurance for all, is NOT the same thing as health care for all.   If a man cannot afford health insurance now, making a law requiring   that man to buy it, does not make it possible.   Such a law is a guarantee that insurance companies are profitable and an assurance that the Health Care PACs, lobbies, are alive and well in DC.   On the web recently, one thoughtful person wrote, “the entire health care debate could be resolved by taking out two words from the Medicare Act.”  Those two words were “over sixty-five.”  

    Is that correct?   I don’t know.  But when I think about the purpose of government, I see it as working to achieve greater good for the people it governs.  Sometimes that comes in the form of checking on the quality of the food we buy, or building highways and dams to produce electricity.  But the sine qua non  of a strong, free country, with the exception of its spiritual focus, is the health and education of its people.  And from these its wealth derives.   Perhaps America can afford a Healthcare now for its people which it couldn’t when it began its great experiment in 1776 “of the people, FOR the people.”