Today in the Spotlight is painter Sandra Francis
www.sandrafrancis.com
Being an artist
Please give us a few words of introduction about yourself
I love painting, and I have made my living painting commissions and popular scenes for printing. I am still inspired by everything I look at and still look for new ideas and compositions. I love colour and space in my paintings.
How and when did you start out as an artist?
I have painted all my life, since I could hold a brush aged 3, when I one a competition. I Won several special book awards at school for drawing.
What training did you have?
From school I had 5 year’s of college training.
What has been your best creative achievement so far?
A painting which I did here on the Isle of wight looking across the Solent to the Spnnaker Tower Portsmouth, which depicts the changes in the colours of the light and distance over the water, and also the detail of the swirl of the waves and rocks in the foreground with a seagull.
General Questions
What are you aiming for?
To continually improve and produce paintings which I feel have feeling and which inspire me and others.
How will you get there?
Keep painting.
You and art
What sort of reactions do you get to your work? are you ever surprised?
Usually people love them. They always attract attention even when people are not expecting to see paintings. I am fortunate to be able to display them in a local restaurant where I can talk to people about them everyday over coffee and see the reactions.
From start to finish, how long does it take for you to create your work?
Maybe a week thinking about the idea and then a couple of days to a week . I paint a little bit each day. I don’t usually paint from start to finish in one go, but occasionally I do especially with the flower paintings.
What music do you like to listen to when you work?
Classical and various (panpipes, irish folk, new age, 60’s rock, samba)
Being inspired by art
What feelings, subjects or concepts inspire you as an artist?
Space ,sunlight, reflections on water, colour, matt or shine, sky and water.
Feeling of peace, space, clearing of the mind, calming, soothing to the soul.
What is your favourite work that you’ve produced so far and why?
Apart from the painting previously described, a painting of a favourite beach with trees,rocks surrounding the calm sea and gentle waves. Priory Bay.
an artist’s advice
Have you got any advice for those starting out as an artist?
Work hard and stick with it as it gets more and more rewarding as your skill develops. The mindset you develop will make you a more observant person adn whether you are painting or not you will look at everything in a more intensive way adn always apprecaite your surroundings.
Images
