Featured Artist Frances Bildner

Frances Bildner

Painter Frances Bildner shares her abstract portfolio and talks about inspiration, influence and a love of colour. Enjoy her work and visit her website to see more.

 

 

I have painted since I was very young. When I was 13, Sir Charles Wheeler, the past president of the Royal Academy, wanted to buy my painting which had won first place in the East Sussex Art competition. He wanted to “wake up to it in the morning!” I was not that keen on art before this and I remember having to paint a still life of flowers. Next to me was a friend of mine, and she was meticulously painting her flowers in a realistic way. I tried the careful approach, but I became restless and then just painted in a loose way. This was the painting that won first prize when it was entered two years later!

 

 

Since then, I have painted, made mosaics and written a book which was published and includes my writings and paintings. Some of my original paintings were turned into Italian silk scarves and looked rather lovely as clothing!

 

 

When I lived in New York, I founded a children’s arts club which has been going strong for many years. It is now in London and we have had thousands of children in the last thirty years who come and paint and dance and have fun. Our emphasis has and always will be on the process, not the final outcome.

 

 

I have lived in three major cities. Born in Buenos Aires, I lived there for the first seven years of my life, absorbing the colours and sunshine of that fantastic vibrant city. I lived in London a great deal of my life and in New York City for fifteen years. I loved living in New York with its vitality and energy. All these places have influenced my art.

 

 

I am a colourist. I love colour and use it in an emotive way. People often ask me what inspires me. I believe life in all its forms inspires me. Sitting in a cafe watching people inspires me. When I stand in front of my canvas, I don’t think of anything and I do not have a preconceived idea of what I’m going to paint. So I start with a doodle and follow this, and my painting tells me its own story. I am the vessel and the picture comes through me.

 

 

My writing too is automatic. I am very comfortable painting this way, and mostly surprised at what comes. I mostly work in acrylic on canvas. I’ve also painted on mirrors where the viewer sees themselves in the work. Quite exciting!

 

 

Artists who have influenced me are the German expressionists and the abstract expressionists. They have a direct spontaneous approach, and sometimes raw work that is quite appealing.

 

 

I love to travel and get greatly inspired in different places drinking coffee and watching the world go by. I feel extremely lucky that I have always been able to follow my path in life and be able to have done what I wanted.

 

Frances Bildner invites you to follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

 

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