ABOUT THE ARTIST

Biography

Sandra Francis.

Portrait and Landscape Painter.

Born 1948.

Sandra Francis is a free-lance painter, landscape/seascape painter,
fine artist and qualified teacher. Sandra has had a very successful career over the past forty years.
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.

Sandra can be reached at her studio on Tel: +44(01983 615574) 24 hr answerphone

mailto://sandra.francisarts@virgin.net

Also see new website....