At about age 45 Fran decided she wanted to be a proficient artist and went back to college for an art education. Her early work with drawing and painting soon gave way to a desire to create 3–dimensional art. Over a period of 30 years she developed a lasting relationship with ceramics and sculpture with earned her many awards and honors.

In addition to her bronzes, she has built a sizabledemand for her unususal high–fire hand–built pots and figures in clay.