About Fran Donovan - A Member of Group 7

Fran Donovan

After starting her working life as a draughtswoman in the civil service, IBM and other large organisations, Fran Donovan studied at Southampton College in Fashion and Design for four years and later for the Fine Art Diploma covering painting, printmaking and sculpture.  Subsequently at Winchester School of Art Fran obtained a BA (Hons) in Fine Art and went on to complete a Masters degree in International Fine Art in Barcelona.

Now primarily a painter in oils, Fran has produced work in a variety of media and has exhibited widely in solo and group shows including:

Universitat de Barcelona;                                                      Tallers Obert, Barcelona;

Delfina Studio Gallery, London;                              Fresh Art, London;

WCA Gallery, Winchester;                                          The White Gallery, Brighton;

Lewes Contemporary Art, Lewes;                              Gallery One, Barnes;

Charleston House Gallery, Firle, Lewes;         Town Mill Gallery, Lyme Regis;

Maltby Contemporary Art, Winchester;                  Russell-Coates Gallery, Bournemouth;

Link Gallery, University of Winchester;                   Young Gallery, Salisbury;

Salisbury Arts Centre;                                                      Thelma Hulbert Gallery, Honiton;

Pond Gallery, Clapham;                                                      Hilton Gallery, Bath

Salisbury Cathedral;                                                                 Kilnhanger Arts, Guildford;

Affordable Art Fairs, London & Cannes;

Open Exhibitions at Sherborne, Chichester and Arts Sway.

Her work is in private collections in Britain, Spain, Italy, America and Australia and the Public collections of Hampshire County Council and Salisbury Hospital as well as a recent completed commission of three large paintings for Mosborough Hall near Sheffield.

Whilst primarily a full time painter, Fran has undertaken art therapy at Southampton and Ashurst hospitals, teaching in Sussex, Hampshire and Dorset and most recently been an artist mentor working with servicemen in the “Other Worlds” project with Salisbury John Creasey Museum.

Awards include Bibliotec Award, Winchester School of Art and European Studies Award, Coopers and Lybrand

Whilst living and working in Brighton she was interviewed and filmed for video by BBC South Resources which was followed by a Radio Arts interview and also Sky TV in conjunction with The White Gallery, Brighton

Published material includes Brighton & Hove Life, University of Winchester Art Loan Collection, Fifty Wessex Artists - [Evolver] Books and Sherborne Open “Margins”.

Artist’s Statement

The more carefully I consider how to define my idea of the landscape the more clearly I am aware of the conflicts at work.  The enormity of what I see and the idea that the landscape stretches on forever has strong influences.  I keep returning to maintain the structure in my work which underlies the abstract surface.

www.frandonovan.co.uk