•Ara of “Venus Gifts” with his guests

Artist Tour Franz Sculptor Afa Tours U.S.

It was Afa’s and my first time to go on the U.S. artist signing tour.

Our adventure started in sunny Florida. European Gallery in Orlando Mall, our first stop, stunned us with its magnificent and classy collections.

•Jay and a “By the Sea” vase to be signed

We tried to make this tour different and more fun. While Afa did the signing inside the store, I was making flower arrangements outside.

•Owner of “Janus/Cook’s Junction” Linda

The hard-working storeowner Jay considered it a rather unique combination.

At the Pear Tree in Cocoa Beach, Tami with her warm personality and passion for work has won her loyal customers for many years.

• A birthday gift at “William Glen”

There we saw happy smiles and heard touching stories in which Franz helped people communicate love.

In Greater L.A., we visited “Venus Gifts” in Glendale, a big store with incredible antiques, and what’s more? the storeowner Ara looks just like the movie star “Robert De Niro”! Though the event was not on the weekend, a lot of people did show up.

• Oceanic theme is popular at “The Pear Tree”

We were absolutely overwhelmed by Armenian hospitality - tons of delicious pastry and food was prepared and presented on Franz plates. Everyone had a great time.

The next day we went to Solvang and found ourselves in a fairy tale, as cute cottages and windmills were everywhere in the Danish town. At “The Mole Hole of Solvang” run by Linda and Harlan, we met several Franz fans, and Joan Thompson was one of them.

• A Franz super fan at “Grace’s Gifts”

When Afa performed his magic and turned the clay into vivid birds, Joan said she could stand there forever just to watch him doing his work. It was a great encouragement to Afa. The lady certainly made our day!

Our first event in San Francisco was at Cook’s Junction located in Los Altos. This popular store specializes in kitchenware.

• Taiwanese visitors at “European Gallery”

The cabinets displaying Franz were placed at the front door and amazed everyone who walked in.

The storeowner Linda is a Franz lover herself and she was glad to have the opportunity to host this special event.

• A symbol of love at “Mole Hole of Solvang”

Surprisingly, the event brought her more Asian customers than ever!

On Saturday afternoon we went to “Grace’s Gifts” located in Valley Fair Mall, the biggest mall in the Bay Area.

• Guests watched Afa sculpting the lotus plate

It was interesting to see that the customers reflected California’s cultural diversity; there were Americans, Chinese, Japanese, Southeast Asians and Hispanics.

We met many Franz fans that were so eager to have their collections signed by Afa and to understand how Franz was made into reality.

• Everyone was stunned by Afa’s magic hands

Our tour ended in William Glen, a big store in Sacramento. It is famous for fantastic Christmas decorations. During the event a lady came with her mom and bought her a Hummingbird and Iris plate as a birthday gift.

Her mom told us she would turn 88 years old next month and was delighted to receive this wonderful gift.

• A peacock vase with Sara’s flower arrangement

This tour left us with beautiful memories. We were so happy to meet many Franz fans and we truly appreciate their love and support for our works. We would like to thank all the hosting stores and everyone in making this tour possible.

Someday we shall all meet again, and we promise, we will come back with more fascinating pieces…