About A Cloud Stationery & Gifts

About A Cloud is a paper goods and gifts studio that’s all about capturing small moments in the big city.

Founded by Widad Franco—and with some inspiration from her tiny rescue kitten—About A Cloud creates greeting cards, prints, and decor items in paper, wood and fabric which are sold in boutique stores and craft markets around New York City.

Widad’s story starts when she was growing up on the sunny coast of Ecuador, before having a revelation as a 12-year-old kid when she saw the Rockefeller Christmas Tree light up on her very first visit to New York.

She was bewitched.

A move to this magical city of her dreams saw her pursuing a career in international TV news that involved reporting on space rocket launches at NASA, witnessing ancient chocolate making techniques in the Amazon, and hitting the campaign trail with presidential candidates. These events became sources of inspiration for her art as she decided that a life spent drawing was really the one for her. 

Today, Widad creates art that channels her unique life experiences through a whimsical lens. In her illustrations, the vivid colors and vibrant textures that surrounded her in Ecuador meet the giant skylines and grand old buildings of big cities. She likes to focus in on the details of everyday city life, like bodega cats lounging on cardboard boxes, street performers playing sweet tunes, and hectic trains packed with colorful characters. Her watercolors are embellished with ink cross-hatching to conjure a playful style that catches the eye and teases a smile.