Biography
Sandra Francis
Portrait, Seascape and Landscape Painter.
... Sandra Francis is a free-lance painter, landscape/seascape painter, fine artist and qualified teacher.
Sandra has a very successful career. In 1958 and again in 1959 received a special Honours Royal Drawing Society book prize. In 1962 was runner's up in Portrait competition "The Beatles" television portraits live on screen. In 1964 was commissioned to paint Lord & Lady Mayor and Mayoress of Westminster.
In 1967 to 1973 attended Art Colleges and Reading University.
1973 began painting full-time as a Portrait and Landscape Painter. Over the years received commissions and sales to Hillingdon Borough Council Civic Centre, and Conservative Club. Held annual library exhibitions throughout Middlesex, including Harrow, Uxbridge, Ruislip, Pinner, and Northwood of watercolour and pastel landscapes. Achieved sales at the Royal Exchange, London in Exhibition of Association of British Artists and also at the Guildhall, London. Sold and exhibited for 3 years at the Mall Galleries Pastel Society, and for two years exhibited and sold at the National Society, Mall Galleries. London.
In 1978 held a solo exhibition at the Loggia Gallery, Buckingham Gate, London.
Was commissioned to Paint a Portrait of Prince Charles and Princess Diana for the Royal British Legion, for Prince Charles estate in Devon.
Worked for the National Portraiture Association in Preparatory and Public Schools throughout the country for 2 years.
Visited West Africa to paint portraits of an African King, and various Dignitaries, also 5 separate portraits of a Q.C. Barrister who is now a Minister of Justice for Nigeria, a World Judge in the Hague, and High Commissioner of Nigeria at the
High Commission in Trafalgar square London.
1982 - Held her own exhibition at Hexagon Art Centre - Reading. Carried out commissions for Maidenhead Town Hall and Magnet Sports & Leisure Centre.
In 1986 Exhibited in Building Societies in Buckinghamshire, Middlesex and Berkshire,
original paintings and prints of local and popular scenes throughout Southern England.
In 1986 participated in sales at Military bases selling scenes of British countryside to American service personnel.
In 1991 opened a gallery in Cookham arcade and after 3 months took the larger shop in
Cookham High Street, known as Sandra Francis Studio Art Gallery, where she
continued to paint commissions, sell her paintings in London as well as in the Gallery, where also the work of other artists was sold .
This shop was re-developed after 4 years so Sandra moved back to the Arcade
across the Street for 4 years until the Cookham bridge was closed for 8 months
and so Sandra decided to close the Cookham Art Gallery and continue devoting more time to her own artwork.
1999 Continued to sell to her customers and contacts including Hitachi, Institute of Marketing
and the locals of Cookham , Marlow, while moving her main selling base to
other Galleries and also still selling in London.
2000 Began a new line of Semi-Abstract work Contemporary Modern Seascapes
and Beaches which evoke child hood memories of East and West Africa,
and are proving to be very popular and Sandra has been asked
to paint mural sized canvases of these.
From her studio in Maidenhead until July2001 then a new studio in Isle of Wight from July 2001 .
Sandra continues to paint acrylic seascapes/landscapes/abstracts and sells online.
This year 2010 paintings that were sold in London over 12 years ago have been seen on the set of Television programmes Coronation Street, Eastenders and a play with the late actor John Thaw. The trailer ad. for the Soap Awards had the painting of the Parliament Square by Sandra Francis as a backdrop.
2011 A watercolour painting of Welford on Avon Stratford is on Eastenders,
Prints are available of isle of wight views .
Paintings of the local Yachts will soon be in the stores.
2016. The paintings Quiet Beach and Sandown Bay have the printing rights sold for canvas prints to be sold in Dunelm shops countrywide.
2017
In December joined www.littlevangogh.co.uk a company which puts on exhibitions every two months in London and cities throughout UK. See Exhibitions on Tour page ....these paintings are for sale and can be purchased through the Little Van Gogh Company.
2018
Supplied direct to China images for publication.
2019
joined Sagebrush Fine art in the US. Who distribute my artwork images for publication as canvas prints to the art decor wall art industry universally .
2020 ..
Preparing a fourth touring exhibition with little Van Gogh Company ...so there will be 44 paintings available for sale and to see on my website and their website www.littlevangogh.co.uk
email .....
sandrafrancispaintings@gmail.com
sandra@sandrafrancis.com
past work can be seen on Facebook page Sandra Francis Artist Painter
also other websites featuring Sandra Francis paintings
Also on Twitter ,Pinterest and Instagram
Paintings for sale on
