Instagram....francesphelanart
Thanks for visiting my page../// I love creating painterly art......... I love creating art that makes you happy to be alive !!!!!.
I am most of the time a contempary artist who experiments with different styles of art. I have been developing my skills daily for the last 12 years. I enjoyed the Australian landscape as a child walking from the bus stop up the dirt road past the apple orchard past the paddocks with cows home to my mum cooking Anzac biscuits while dad was working for Telecom.. My first job ever around 15 was picking cherrys with lots of new immigrants and uni students in the Yarra Valley Orchards to make spending money for myself for the exciting family christmas holidays,
I gave up team sport in 1987 after been knocked out cold by a ball while playing mixed indoor cricket then suffered concussion which may have enhanced my artistic expression in writing and art. My art is inspired by the excitment of a beautiful bird, a happy face a beautiful sunset against a peacful ocean or majestic mountains , the feeling a fresh breeze against your face or the sound of a gentle incoming tide at the ocean on a summers day
My painting inspirations come from my friends, family and husband, my 2, 20 year old cats the wild birds and their habitat and my garden where I spend lots of time. I love Matisse and his use of colour in art in his cat paintings, the craftmanship of Michelangelo and Margeret Olley and the life and movement in a Kevin Boucher and Paul Magocsy . It normally takes betwen 2 weeks to 2 months to complete a painting, I always have a few pieces I am working on at the same time.
I studied HSC craft and art apprecation in 1985. I took art classes at a variety of locations my first art classes was designing mandalas then I took up modern and contempary art classes for many years. I have been painting daily for the last 10 years and I am lucky enough to have met many great artists I sketch from the photos I take and my travels around Australia as inspiration for my work as well as many of the masters.
In 2016 I assisted two full time professional artists with a large wall murial and numerous other works. This is part of my apprenticeship into the art world .
I won first prize in a christmas "paint off " which inspired me to keep painting. I have exhibited and sold at Camberwell Art Show and many other city and country shows and country fairs.
I paint with oil and acrylics. I have had lessons and demonstrations from Top Australia Artists Kevin Boucher,, Paul Magocsy, and others.
In the past I have worked in administration, hospital cleaner, overseas bank clerking,and and for 13 years in a variety of organisations as a support worker and disability carer, gained a diploma of Social Science/Community Development and studied nursing for 3 years and also took lessons in creative writing, am a gardner as well.