Fran Alexander

About

Bio

Keenly interested in art throughout her youth, Fran Alexander went on to study visual arts at the University of British Columbia, graduating in 1984 with a degree in Art Education. Her painting instructor and mentor at the time was none other than celebrated Canadian artist Gordon Smith, an influence that would inform her artistic sensibility in the years to come.

A shortage of jobs in the Vancouver area propelled Fran northward, where she would dedicate the next three years to teaching Inuit children in the town of Inuvik, Northwest Territories. This experience would foster a profound respect for native culture and the Canadian wilderness, and would also lay the foundation for future artworks. 

The consummate adventurer, Fran left the tranquil isolation of the Arctic for the bustling metropolis of Toronto, where in addition to domestic and professional life, she continued to hone her technical skills and develop a deeply personal approach to image making.

After six years in Canada’s largest city, Fran crossed the Atlantic in 1997 for the great artistic traditions of Europe. The fabled museums and galleries of France and Germany complemented her extensive education in the arts, and the combination of her formal training and life experience began to congeal. However, the rugged beauty of her beloved Canada beckoned, and she returned to her native land to fully realize her calling as an artist.

Relocating in Vancouver in 2005, she continued juggling motherhood, teaching, and her ever-evolving creative endeavours. Staying in one place for an extended period of time had the desired effect, and after relentless explorations into genres as varied as hyper-realism and abstract expressionism, Fran’s painting began to solidify into a unique artistic vision: one that explored her love of country, love of nature, and love of expressive mark making and imagery. 

Exhibiting opportunities came fast and furious, and Fran began to establish herself on the Canadian art scene. Over the past several years, she has shown her paintings in respected B.C. galleries, has received numerous awards, and has been selected for a number of prestigious residencies. Fran is an Associate Signature Member of the Federation of Canadian Artists. She remains involved in arts organizations, has acted as a juror for painting competitions, and has generously donated her works to a number of charitable organizations. Her abstract and representational paintings are now included in private collections across the globe.

Artist Statement

Growing up and living much of my life in Canada, I developed a deep affinity for the rugged Canadian landscape, with its sublime diversity of climates, flora and fauna. From the mountains and rainforests of the Pacific Northwest, to the Arctic ice and tundra, to the Great Lakes and Canadian Shield, I have immersed myself in and have always cherished our great natural legacy. My Chinese ancestors made enormous sacrifices to immigrate and help build this country, and I am a typical Canadian in so many respects: proud of my heritage, and proud to be Canadian. This love of heritage and country periodically manifests itself in my art.

From a technical standpoint, I have always embraced new ideas and methods, pushing myself out of my comfort zone in order to learn and grow. This has led me to explore a spectrum of techniques, from slashing on multiple layers of transparent paint with large hog hair brushes to carving shapes using plastic wedges.
A hair dryers is my tool of choice for drying each layer before quickly adding another. My process is both physical and intuitive.

My current preoccupation is with expressionist depictions of wildlife, in tandem with my gestural abstract work. I have never wanted to be pigeon-holed as a representational painter, nor as an abstract one. I move back and forth between the two genres, according to the needs of my current creative impulses and direction. My mantra when exploring unfamiliar artistic territory is “Risk spawns learning and growth—comfort spawns complacency.”

My goal is to create modern dynamic images that reveal but at the same time retain a sense of mystery, and somehow connect the subject, myself, and the viewer. Although I have my own notions about what my paintings mean, I dare not interfere with what the viewer might perceive and experience, since it is the emotive nature of art that gives it its power and magic.

Awards  

2020 - Honorable Mention, Federation of Canadian Artists, Animalis Show, Rainforest Spirit Bears
2018 - Honorable Mention, Federation of Canadian Artists, AFCA Medal Show, Sleuth
2018-  Honorable Mention, Federation of Canadian Artists, Canvas Unbound, On Thin Ice
2017 - Honorable Mention, Seymour Art Gallery, Balance Art Show, Retreat
2017 - Award of Excellence, FCA Fraser Valley Chapter, Spring Show, Reflecting Light 1
2016 - Third Place, Federation of Canadian Artists, Eggscentric
2015 - Honorable Mention, Federation of Canadian Artists, Pink Peonies and Bud
2015 - Artistic Achievement, South Delta Artists Guild, Canadian Flag
2015 - Third Place, North Vancouver Community Arts Council, Flirtatious Pears
2015 - Featured in 2016 Calendar, Federation of Canadian Artists, Canadian Flag 

Publications
2020 - The Best of Acrylic, AcrylicWorks 7

Shows Juried
A pleasure jurying the following art shows.

2022- FCA AIRE Annual International Representational Exhibition
2022 - FCA Shape and Form
2021 - FCA AIRE Annual International Representational Exhibition
2021 - FCA Central Interior Chapter: In Light of Self
2020 - FCA Limitless
2019 - FCA, O Canada
2018 - FCA Small, Smaller, Smallest Show
2017 - FCA Show, The Active Members Show
2017 - Calgary FCA Chapter show, All Things Spring
2017 - Peace River FCA Chapter show, Our Home and Native Land
2017-  FCA Crossing Boundaries
2017 - FCA O Canada
2017-  FCA Painting on the Edge
2017 - FCA Summer Gallery
2016 - West Kootenay Chapter FCA Show, Off the Wall

Past Shows

2020
Federation of Canadian Artists, POTE Paintings on the Edge Show
Federation of Canadian Artists, Animalis Show
Awarded Honorable Mention
Gallery 8, 11th Anniversary Group Virtual Exhibition

2019
Gallery 8, Symbolically 8 Group Exhibition
Federation of Canadian Artists, Wildlife Show
The North Vancouver Community Art Council Art Rental Show

2018
Winter Small Works Show, Gallery 8
Federation of Canadian Artists, Medal Show
Awarded Honorable Mention
Spaces, Places, Traces, ESCC Preview Show, The Cultch
East Side Culture Crawl, Portside Studios
CityScape Community Art Space, Journey of the Salmon
CityScape Community Art Space, Art Rental Show
CityScape Community Art Space, Abstract Realism
8th Annual Mid Main Art Fair
Artists in Our Midst, Kits House
Federation of Canadian Artists, Wildlife
North Shore Art Crawl
Federation of Canadian Artists, Canvas Unbound
Awarded Honourable Mention
The North Vancouver Community Art Council Art Rental Show

2017
Federation of Canadian Artists, The AFCA Medal Show
The Anonymous ART Show, North Vancouver Community Arts Council
The East Side Culture Crawl, The Portside Studios
LIT, The East Side Culture Crawl Preview Show, The ARTS Factory
The West Fine Art Show, The Glass House Estate Winery
Federation of Canadian Artists, Ten Squared
Federation of Canadian Artists, Summer Gallery
Federation of Canadian Artists, Limitless Online Gallery
Federation of Canadian Artists, O Canada Show
7th Annual Mid Main Art Fair
North Vancouver Community Arts Council, Art in the Garden
Art in the City, Annual Art Show and Sale
Federation of Canadian Artists, Abstract Show
FCA Fraser Valley Chapter, Spring Exhibition, 
Award of Excellence
Federation of Canadian Artists, Artist Choice Show
Seymour Art Gallery, Balance
Awarded Honourable Mention

2016
Federation of Canadian Artists, Ten Square
The 12th Annual Anonymous ART Show, North Vancouver Community Arts Council
Eastside Culture Crawl,Portside Studios, Vancouver BC
Federation of Canadian Artists, Concept Art Show
Federation of Canadian Artists, AIRS, Annual International Representational Show
Federation of Canadian Artists, The 75th FCA Signature Celebration and Exhibition
Van Dusen Botanical Garden's Discovery Room, The Nature of Art
Art Rental Show at the City Scape Gallery
Silk Purse Arts Centre, Art in the Garden Group Show
Federation of Canadian Artists, CanCon Art Show
Federation of Canadian Artists, Annual International Mail In Art Exhibition
Third Place Award
7th Annual Mid Main Art Fair, Heritage Hall
Federation of Canadian Artists, Limitless Art Show
North Vancouver Community Arts Council, Art in the Garden Show
Federation of Canadian Artists, Culture Art Show
Federation of Canadian Artists, Success! Signature Art Show
Federation of Canadian Artists, Active Members Art Show

2015
Jericho Arts Centre, Solo Art Show
The 11th Annual Anonymous ART Show, North Vancouver Community Arts Council
Federation of Canadian Artists, Ten Squared Art Show
Federation of Canadian Artists, ICON Art Show
Federation of Canadian Artists, Annual International Representational Show, AIRS 2015
The City Scape Gallery, Art Rental Show
Oil and Water Juried Art Show, 2015, Gallery 1710, South Delta Artist Guild
Awarded Artist Achievement
Federation of Canadian Artists, Artist in Residence
Federation of Canadian Artists, Summer Gallery 2015
Federation of Canadian Artists, Small, Smaller, Smallest 
Heritage Hall, 6th Annual Mid Main Art Fair
Federation of Canadian Artists, National Crossing Boundaries Art Exhibition 2015
Federation of Canadian Artists, Canvas Unbound Show
Federation of Canadian Artists,  Florals and Foliage Show
Awarded Honourable Mention 
Federation of Canadian Artists, Artist Choice Show
Federation of Canadian Artists, Active Members Show

2014
Gallery at Hycroft, Group exhibit of current works
North Vancouver Community Arts Council, The 10th Annual Anonymous ART Show
Federation of Canadian Artists, Ten Squared
Artist in Residence, Federation Gallery
Federation of Canadian Artists, Small, Smaller, Smallest Show
Federation of Canadian Artists, Foliage and Flowers Show
Discovery Room at the Visitors Centre in Van Dusen Botanical Gardens, Poetic Illumination
Yosef Work Library + Resource Centre at Van Dusen Botanical Gardens, Solo exhibition
Federation of Canadian Artists, Canvas Unbound Show
Federation of Canadian Artists, Artists Choice Show
Federation of Canadian Artists, Active Members' Show

Residencies
2023 - Mountain Galleries Artist In Residency, Fairmont Jasper, Banff, Whistler
2023 - Whistler Wine Walk AIR in Mountain Galleries

Teaching
2023 - Whistler Cornucopia, Blanc Canvas Paint Night at the Audain Art Museum

Philanthropy
2023 - VineArt, YWCA Banff
2022-2023 - BGC, Boys Girls Club South Coast BC
2019-2023 - Trees of Hope, Canuck Place Children's Hospice
2019 - Take Flight, Eastside Culture Crawl
2018 - Anything for Alzhiemers, The Alzheimers Society
2017 - Lions Gate Hospital Healing Power of Art Program, permanent collection
2017 - BC Children's Hospital Foundation
2016 - FCA, Paint By Numbers fundraising event
2015-2016 - Young Life of Canada
2014 - Kate Booth House, Salvation Army