ELECTED ARWS 2022
Frances grew up in the Fens near Ely at the edge of The Wash. Its black earth formed her as a plein air painter. She makes site-responsive work whilst on location. Frances has travelled widely over the years to work in environments such as Antarctica, Norway, Finland, Guernsey and Scotland as well as engaging with the landscape local to her. The Jurassic Coast, within easy reach of her Weymouth studio, offers earth palettes with generous tonal and colour ranges. Indeed, every site suggests and offers a unique palette. Her artworks witness to a reciprocity between artist and place. The works literally become containers of shared experience. She integrates commercially available paint (gouache, acrylic or watercolour) with locally sourced earth pigments.
It is pertinent that the two pieces hung in the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition (2016) were placed in Gallery 1V described by its curator, Jock McFayden RA, as ‘radical landscape’.
At the invitation of Professor Simon Olding, Frances conceived and curated The Common Ground for The Crafts Study Centre at University College for the Arts Farnham in 2020. This integrated her curatorial skills with an interest in the written word.
Art education has been integral to her creative life. At West Dean College near Chichester, Frances has contributed to the Short Course Programme, the Foundation Diploma in Art and Design and the Diploma in Art and Contemporary Craft.