“The drawings in this show were done in response to my call for sitters. I was inspired by my Facebook friend Conor Walton. Conor needed to practice before a portrait sketching contest in his native Ireland. He simply put out the call and sitters lined up. It was fun to see the postings of so many Irish faces while Conor practiced for his upcoming event. My event doesn’t take place until December, 2017, in the Windlund Gallery at Tannery Pond Community Center in North Creek. This current exhibit at the Johnsburg Library is a kind of preview. I am grateful to the friends and family who have offered their time to sit for me. I have titled the show Local Color because most of the people who sit for me are from in and around Johnsburg.”
About the Artist
After attending the Fashion Institute of Technology, Frances worked in New York as a textile designer. she worked both as a free-lance artist and as a full-time print designer in a commercial studio.
Frances first came to the Adirondacks in the 1980’s to visit a brother who attended Paul Smith’s College. She eventually began vacationing near Brant Lake with her children, taking advantage of every moment she could spend painting outdoors.
Her artwork captures scenes across the Adirondacks: on top of Gore Mountain, along the shore of Tupper Lake’s Bog River Falls and beneath towering trees in the St. Regis area, among other vistas. Her paintings and drawings have been featured in seven solo exhibitions and more than 30 group exhibitions across New York and her home state of New Jersey.
Her work can be found on display at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts Gallery and Giant Mountain Studio in Schroon Lake, or online at www.francesgaffney.com