We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Frances Byrd. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Frances below.

Frances, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

Although painting portraits has just become my primary studio focus over the last couple of years, the subject has been an important outlet for giving back to my community for many years. Before Covid, I spent several years creating inspirational and social justice themed portraits to raise money for a local organization that rescues victims of human trafficking. The money raised at their events funds projects ranging from rescue and rehabilitation, to housing and job training. The portraits I created for these organizations were primarily on themes of raising awareness of this issue and on depictions of women and children finding support in their communities. Working on these paintings planted the seed of inspiration for my current work on female empowerment and the celebration of strong women.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am inspired by confident, unconventional women, who are comfortable expressing themselves in unique and authentic ways. Most of them do not conform to societal definitions of beauty or a woman’s role, nor do they follow traditional expectations of behavior. Every one of them has an interesting story to tell, which I strive to capture in their portraits. Each and every painting is a celebration of the model, whether it be the first time I have illustrated her story, or a repeated examination of her life experiences. My narrative portraits are created with the intention of sharing an individual woman’s story, sometimes triumphant, sometimes difficult, but always with the purpose of capturing the essence of her personality. I choose my models based on their authenticity, sincerity, and self-confidence, rather than their appearance or body type. I believe interesting stories are far more important than fashion trends. Many of the women I work with are trauma survivors, have unconventional jobs or pursuits, and have the self-confidence to walk through the world as if they own it. They are women whose life experiences have led them toward a path of individuality and strength.
My studio process starts with an interview of each woman, building a foundation for descriptive imagery and symbolism that I use to create her narrative portrait. After shooting reference photos, I start developing a concept based on our conversation by pulling out compelling words or phrases and looking for appropriate symbolism to illustrate them. Once I have a general concept for my model’s portrait, I will put together a sketch or collage in my concept journal that captures the essence of her personality. Sometimes my models have specific concepts they want to explore, and I involve them more directly in the conceptual process by showing them my initial sketches and asking for their feedback.
I enjoy telling stories through a combination of narrative and visual elements. I am drawn to portraiture by an appreciation for the female form and an interest in the personalities that make them unique. When creating the final portrait, I layer oil paints over more graphic and expressive elements, allowing the foundational techniques to show through the entire process. I often include bold words as part of the composition or incorporate longer phrases or bodies of text in the background as more subtle design elements. In this way, I invite the viewer to spend time with my model, exploring her surroundings and uncovering more of her story.
My portrait painting process is a result of extensive reflection on my model’s personality and the stories they have shared with me. Sometimes I choose to tell parts of my own story in self-portraits. Often these self-portraits are very stylized in order to create a figure based on a specific symbol or concept I want to explore further. Most are a reflection of my personal struggle to overcome the aftermath of childhood abuse at the hands of family.
I use color and layers of textural or graphic elements to move the viewer’s attention around the composition. Colors, words, and symbolism are often used as a means to create tension in the background of my paintings, to highlight an important concept, or to place emphasis on a particular part of the composition. I often create tension or ambiguity between these elements in order to further illustrate the underlying narrative of a portrait.
I enjoy this narrative painting process because it allows me to incorporate an illustrative style into a traditional painting medium. Although I have tried many painting mediums over the years, I find myself most drawn to oils for their luminosity and richness, the variety of consistencies ranging from translucent to opaque, and the ability to create textures and expressive marks within their layers. I have developed my own techniques for painting over the years that allow me to explore the drawing media I love so much from my training as an illustrator with the more traditional media of oils.
My portraits are a celebration of real women who are confident in their natural bodies. Incorporating their personal stories into the paintings gives them the extra narrative element that makes them special. Combining these conceptual elements with a personal process, honed over years, makes every moment spent in my studio a joy.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

The most important thing people can do support a thriving art community is to support the artists who create the work they like, or think is impactful. That sounds simple enough, but in my experience, it has been very difficult to get people who have strong opinions about the arts or the work ethic of artists to actually invest in the arts. Sales of artwork are important, and vital to an artist’s career, but there are many other ways to support an artist. Simply going to the opening of shows where your favorite artist has work helps their career by showing a gallery that they can draw a crowd. Word of mouth and sharing an artist’s social media posts cost nothing and can help them reach a wider audience.
Perhaps your budget doesn’t allow for an investment in a large painting, but you could consider purchasing a smaller work in a similar style. Many artists have merchandise or offer prints to raise money for expenses. Even small purchases add up and art supplies are expensive.
With the advent of crowd-funding, there are so many ways you can support a specific artist. Monthly subscriptions help artists budget for expenses and provide the patron with regular content or merchandise, as well as insight into an artist’s process and studio environment. Time and space are huge assets to an artist. If you have a large piece of property, extra workshop space, or a vacation property, offering it to an artist you know for a limited time as a retreat would be an extremely valuable contribution to their career. Blocking out uninterrupted time and space to concentrate entirely on creative pursuits is one of the biggest challenges most artists face.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

In my conversations with women in my community over the last few years, I have noticed a trend of women feeling dismissed or unseen by the purveyors of popular culture. They see their worth as being dependent on their appearance or willingness to fit into manufactured roles. Their stories have reshaped my previously symbolic concept for this portrait series to include relatable experiences.

Those who are assertive and self-assured are viewed as aggressive and confrontational, where the same behavior would be viewed as ambitious or competitive in a male contemporary. Those who are beautiful are treated as chattels, incapable of intellectual acumen. Athletic women lack femininity. The stereotypes are myriad, but the overall perception is of a paper doll simplicity where multi-dimensionality is the reality and the beauty that each of us possess.

In my portrait series, I am celebrating the unique beauty of real women with real accomplishments. I am attempting to tell their stories in a way that helps the viewer empathize with their hardships and celebrate their achievements. In my celebration of the wonderful diversity of these women, I am attempting to shift the public narrative from a sterile, commercial idea of beauty toward a realistic aesthetic that celebrates the whole woman.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.francesbyrd.art
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frances_byrd_art/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FrancesByrdArt
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frances-byrd-art/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/FrancesByrdArt
• Other: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/francesbyrdart/membership Artwork Archive: https://www.artworkarchive.com/profile/frances-byrd