Encouraged to exercise her creativity from her parents, Frances Smith and her brothers and sisters regularly took part in creative activities whether this was music, which both of her parents taught, or art, which saw her mother painting in her spare time. Growing up in a particularly large family on the outskirts of London was a happy and fond time for the artist and this influenced her pursui
Encouraged to exercise her creativity from her parents, Frances Smith and her brothers and sisters regularly took part in creative activities whether this was music, which both of her parents taught, or art, which saw her mother painting in her spare time. Growing up in a particularly large family on the outskirts of London was a happy and fond time for the artist and this influenced her pursuit as an artist.
Music played a large part in her creating and not only is it part of the artist's practice to have it playing in the background, but growing up she would regularly paint album covers such as David Bowie as well as everyday objects which surrounded her.
Realizing her potential the artist strived to working towards a professional art career and began studying in Barking College, East London in Design and Illustration. Despite the course being heavily graphic design orientated, this then meant that composition, colour and planning was helpful in aiding her to create the works in which she makes today.
It would be some period before her painting career would really take off as soon after college her three children were born and this brought her no greater joy. Now living in Norfolk, the artist plucked up interest in local galleries and exhibited her works in the area growing both her confidence and audience interest.
Frances Smith began work as a gallery manager which then enabled new relationships to form and before she knew it her work was approached with new galleries. Over the past few years the artist has also taught art to students and this has also educated her on her craft.
The process and ideas are inspired by light and dark, emphasis on tonal contrasts is something that draws the artist into a particular painting. Artists of influence are: Joaquin Sorolla, John Singer Sargent, Johannes Vermeer and loves their use of dramatic breath taking light and how this complements the subject they paint. Because of this nature Frances Smith loves to paint water or fish so that their ripples, bubbles, transparency can perfectly pick up light and shade creating the most wonderful of tones and scenes.
The artist simply lets the picture be what it wants to be, with no careful planning, or if she does for example want the piece to be in autumnal tones this never turns out to be the case in the end. The process she uses is to study her own photographs from observations, movement and people watching, this is then put to one side as she begins paint her canvas in deep watery undertones.
She focuses on the surface of the water and how light affects this and sketches her paint into the canvas to create this movement. The most exciting part of the process is painting in highlights on her fish as well as the bubbles from the water as these really capture the strongest of lights and creates the most brilliant of contrast in her tones across the canvas.
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