News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Santa Claus (aka Franz Brown) and artist Tom Browning. Photo by Jim Cornelius People all over the world have seen him on Christmas cards and prints by Sisters artist Tom Browning.
Santa Claus, right? Well, yes... also known as Franz Brown, a freelance art writer from Dawes County, Nebraska.
Franz has been modeling for Browning since 1989, when Browning tapped the writer to pose for "Bottoms Up," a painting of Santa feeding ducks.
He could not have known then that he had found the perfect model Santa Claus. Back then, Franz was clean shaven -- no sign of the magnificent whiskers he sports now.
But the relationship clicked and Franz has since modeled for at least 75 of Browning's 100 or so Santa Claus paintings.
Browning flies Franz out from Nebraska every year or so and they go to various locations in Oregon for photo shoots that serve as the starting point for Browning's paintings.
"I have the ideas sort of lined out and we just set them up with props and shoot," Browning said.
Later, when it's time to paint, "I can just go to my photo reference and pull something out," the artist said.
The image of Santa Claus closely adheres to the photo pose. Sometimes the background, too, makes it into the painting; sometimes Browning creates a completely different backdrop.
One thing is always missing, the artist and the model agree:
"There's never any elves in the photographs," Browning said. "They don't show up on film."
"Most adults have a hard time seeing them, too," Franz said. "Kids are a lot better -- two- to five-year-olds especially."
It's always a treat for Franz to come out to Oregon for the photo shoots.
He creates quite a stir wherever he goes. And the end product brings joy to so many people.
"It's the best thing I do right now," he said.
Franz performs as Santa Claus during the Christmas season back home in Nebraska. It's hard to imagine a better St. Nick.
He is, in his own right, a right jolly old elf.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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