Franz Brown, a resident of South Dakota, does free-lance writing, photography and painting. He occasionally writes about artists for magazines and his work has appeared in Southwest Art, US Art and a few other publications. To learn more about Franz go to Biography.

Franz is perhaps more familiar to many across the United States, and in a few foreign countries, as the Santa Claus who appears in the Santa's Time Off series by artist Tom Browning. His image has appeared on Christmas cards, prints, mugs, throw rugs, plates and shopping bags. For more on the Santa images go to Santa Claus.

From 2001 to 2005 he was the "guest" as Santa on the Santa Train in Chadron and a number of other small towns in western Nebraska.

Franz began working with Tom Browning about 1987. Browning and Brown try to get together once a year during which they discuss paintings for Santa. Brown models as Santa and Browning photographs him in various situations. Later Browning completes the paintings. Together they have done over 100 paintings.

Franz Santa Claus Brown, 2006à

There is also more information on the images he has appeared in on this site.
click on Santa Claus.

 You may see more Tom Browning Paintings of Santa and his other fine artwork by going to his website.
click here http://www.tombrowning.com/

To find images of Brown as Santa look in the stores during the Christmas season. If you check the credits for the art and find Tom Browning's name you will probably have found one of the images Franz Brown modeled for. You can also use your search engine and look for Tom Browning. Prints are currently available through Apple Jack, a print distributor in Vermont. Cards are occasionally available through American Greetings, Leanin' Tree and Hallmark.