Frances Broomfield
What I enjoy as an artist, as well as creating and exhibiting my paintings, is seeing my work used beyond the gallery setting.
My pictures have appeared on book covers for major publishers, including Russell Hoban's cult classic The Medusa Frequency and Colin Dann's Farthing Wood series of children's books.
Prints of my work hang on the cabin walls of several Fred. Olsen cruise ships.
The BBC projected one of my paintings onto landmark buildings around the UK as part of their Your Paintings launch event. My work has even been used as set dressing for scenes in Netflix's series The Crown. I have had tea at 10 Downing Street and painted the PM's cat.
During my career I have met many interesting individuals, who sometimes feature in, or have influenced my work, notably Ivor Cutler and Cecil Collins.
I had a studio in a mansion that once belonged to Maria Callas, where a one armed alchemist had his laboratory. At another time my workspace was in a converted sugar warehouse in London's Docklands.
I have travelled to the USA to show my work, and have received several awards, including one from the Pollock Krasner Foundation in New York.
All these have proved to be formative experiences for me, an artist from Warrington, a small town in the North West of England with a BA in Fine Art from Newport College of Art and Design.
I have exhibited widely and for most of my career my work has been represented by Portal Gallery, London who specialise in idiosyncratic painting. My pictures are featured in their book A Singular Vision - 50 Years of British Painting at the Portal Gallery.
I paint in oils an tempera on MDF panels prepared with a gesso ground. My subject matter includes memories, dreams, real or fictional characters, folklore, nursery rhymes, myths and archetypes whatever sparks my imagination finds expression in my work.
I have a special interest in Lewis Carroll, who was born at Daresbury close to my home town. I have painted several Alice themed works and Oxford University Press have used my pictures on the covers of two editions of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass.
I am currently based in Chester and working on a catalogue of my paintings at my studio in Warrington, whilst continuing to exhibit.
Recent shows include Time & Space part of the No.7 Studios exhibition at Warrington Museum and Chester Art Beat at Chester Cathedral in July 2024.
Bridgeman Images hold over 100 images of my paintings in their collection.
