I have been a painter for so long, winning competitions as young as 14, and still as passionate about it some decades later! My work encompasses many subjects - naive folk art, colonial-style portraits, animals, landscapes - even an occasional abstract - whichever way each day takes me. I cannot settle on one style, one kind of art, which I guess can confuse buyers at first, but ultimately intrigues them, as they wonder what I'll be doing next.

I paint what I am feeling at the moment, needing to get on to a canvas something that popped into my head, from a street encounter, a chance conversation, or an image from the bus. With my writing (which also vies for my time, although painting usually wins!), I make copious, tiny notes to trigger the writing process later. For my paintings, it usually starts with a barely-recognizable little sketch with a scribbled title, usually when I am in the middle of doing something entirely different, something which has nothing to do with this image. The scraps of paper turn up all over the place, mostly on my desk, but sometimes in the washing machine. I sometimes wonder what brilliant idea I've lost within the small, squidgy, shapeless mound that I find as I'm loading the dryer, or that one of my cats is shredding.

My Gran character is regularly featured, and I think of her as one of the family. She is daring, curious, absurd and strong. She has traveled the world more than once, and lived in many places, including Canada, Australia, and Britain. She is no longer young, but refuses to slow down. Exactly like me, really.

(Two of my novels, "Uncharacteristic Behavior" and "The Attic", are available at most online booksellers.)

Fran Caldwell

Artworks by Fran Caldwell

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