The creative spirit is inspired by that which surrounds it. As a plein air painter, that is especially true for Francesca Droll and northwest Montana. She loves the landscape—the rugged mountains, the pristine lakes, and the lush farmlands. As a child of Swiss immigrants, she feels connected to it on a deep, spiritual level.

Francesca is endlessly inspired to discover and familiarize herself with the variations and nuances of landscape. Pastels are her chosen medium because they allow her to use bold flourishing strokes as well as subtle blending to convey mood and motion in the composition. Francesca’s work is informed by plein air painting – she puts up with the weather, the bugs, the wind, and the inconvenience while painting on location. The sense of bliss she feels while viewing a scene bathed in light and shadow is what she hopes to convey. Francesca believes that if a work of art can foster connectivity with the viewer, it becomes an asset to their quality of life.

Her background includes over 30 years as a graphic designer running an intimate design studio, Abacus Graphics, with her husband and partner, John R. Webster. They live in Bigfork on the beautiful shoreline of Flathead Lake.