François Larivière ‘Frenchy’ is a painter and freelance artist from the Ozarks of Missouri. Since the young age of 3, his passion for drawing, painting, and doodling began, and would continue throughout his youth. In 2005, he received an art scholarship to Southwest Missouri State University and in 2010, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies, with a minor in Drawing from Missouri State University. For the past 12 years, he has primarily worked freelance while also selling and showing his artwork around the country. Common work includes commissioned paintings and portraits, prints, illustrations, large scale Murals, stickers, clothing, and live art. His specialties include charcoals, oil pastels, acrylics and oil paints. His style of work ranges between Contemporary Street Art & Traditional Fine Art, while his influences come from his faith, family, and an extremely long list of painters, musicians, athletes and pop cultural icons.
I am driven by a strong sense of curiosity for self-exploration, along with a love for both contemporary and traditional fine art. As a young child I began to pursue art drawing my favorite athletes, comic characters, and occasionally the family dog. Along with my own personal perspectives, feelings, and experiences much of my work today is a continuation of these childhood fascinations. The mediums, color pallets, surfaces, and subject matters I choose from one body of work to the next all serve as intiment vehicles to what I feel are the two most exciting aspects of creation: Experimentation and the discovery of new techniques & processes. As Emerson once said " It's the not the destination, it's the journey."
1997 Illustration for school year book cover Cherokee Elementary Springfield, MO
1997 First drawing sold to Cherokee Elementary Springfield, MO
1997 2nd Place PTA Reflection State Wide Competition
1998 3rd Place PTA Reflections State Wide Competition
2004 1st Place Award Springfield Public Schools District Exhibition at Springfield Art Museum
2004 Art and Design Scholarship Missouri State University
2004-2010 Group Shows First Friday Art walk Springfield, MO
Coffee Ethic
Obelisk Home
Gaileys Breakfast
Hearts of Fire Tattoo
2004-2010 Several Missouri State Student Exhibitions
2009 "Gorilla Priest" Painting included in Nation wide traveling art show with Find Art Magazine (based of California)
2010 Mural Project for Marlin / Alchemedia Project
2010 Graduation from Missouri State University:Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies, with a minor in Drawing
2015 1st Place Award Little Italy Italian Street Painting Festival (San Diego, CA)
2015 Best New Artist Award Pasadena Chalk Festival (Pasadena, CA)
2015 3rd Place / Appearance on Television series "Skin Wars : Fresh Paint"
(Season 1 Episode 7: Inner Nerd)
2015 Backdrop Chalk board for the Food Network television
2016 Teddy Rosevelt Chalk Mural for Bass Pro: Boone and Crocket Club Awards Ceremony (Springfield, MO)
2017 J.J. Audubon & Teddy Rosevelt Portraits + Live Art for Wonders of Wild Life National Museum and Aquarium Grand Opening
2018 Tiger Woods Portrait + Live Art for Legends of Golf at Big Cedar Lodge / PGA Tour Championship
2018-2020 Murals for Record Labels located at Basement East Music Venue Nashville, TN / Labels include: Universal Music Group, RoadRunner Records, Running Bear Films, Thirty Tigers, Fantasy Records, Yep Roc Records + more
2020 6 Paintings (Tigers Woods & Payne Stewart) + Live Art for Big Cedars Paynes Valley Cup
2021 Official Portrait of Coach Mullins for Greenwood Laboratory School located in Springfield, MO
2021 Mural Project for Stord Freight located in Springfield, MO
2021 Mural Project for Rage Fitness located in Springfield, MO
2021 2 Public Murals (Marie Curie and Nikola Tesla in Pop) for Discovery Center located in Springfield, MO / In partnership with Chroma 417
