Frances Byrd
Buford, GA
Frances Byrd is a multi-media artist whose narrative portraits portray women as empowered individuals who are paving a way to a better future.
Message
Frances Byrd is a portrait artist from Florida's historic coast, living in the Georgia Piedmont. As a survivor of childhood trauma and abuse, she feels a strong drive to portray women as empowered individuals who are paving a way to a better future. The primary focus of her narrative portraits is to portray women as they are, the way you might meet them passing on the street, rather than as representations of fashion trends or societal preferences. Her bold and dynamic painting style, combined with a passion for female empowerment, have resulted in a portfolio of narrative portraits that capture the unique personalities of her models
Frances earned a Bachelor's Degree in Illustration from the Savannah College of Art and Design in 1997. She currently lives in Suwanee, Georgia. You can visit her studio at the Tannery Row Artists Colony in Buford, Georgia to see her newest work.
In 2021, one of her self-portraits was purchased for the permanent collection at The Hudgens Center for Art and Learning in Duluth, Georgia. Her nature-based public works are on display in Gainesville, Atlanta, and multiple locations around Jackson County, Georgia.
In 2022, Frances launched her portfolio of Wild Woman Portraits during the Winter Exhibitions at The Quinlan Visual Arts Center in Gainesville, Georgia.
Since 2012, Frances has been pursuing public art projects in various locations around northeast Georgia. Her largest installation, to date, is located throughout the atrium of the public library in Commerce, Georgia.
Over the last two years, Frances has been developing a more positive narrative in her work. After several years of focusing on surviving trauma and overcoming emotional boundaries, she realized there was a need, both culturally and personally, for a positive way forward. In that way, her newest series, The Wayfinders, developed and is currently taking shape.
Statement
I am most inspired by things in nature that bring me joy. Unlike most artists, I do not confine my practice to a specific media, but prefer to align my materials and techniques with the process I envision for creating a piece of art. The concepts for my portraits are often based on a color scheme or element from nature. I enjoy outdoor activities, including hiking and kayaking, where the seeds of an idea often sprout. I find joy in the color and texture of moss, ephemeral wildflowers, acorns, mushrooms, and bird feathers along the paths I travel.
Forest environments elicit a fullness of heart, and I cannot resist a woodland trail. I find peace in the sound of the wind rustling through the leaf canopy and joy in birdsong. The structure of trees fascinates me in all seasons, from the bare branches of winter to the vibrant colors of autumn leaves. The repetitive simplicity of nature juxtaposed against the myriad variety of life find expression in the media I use to pursue my muses. Birds and flowers become icons and symbols that repeat across media from printmaking and illustration to mixed media and oils. As in nature, patterns and themes repeat while also evolving.
My narrative portraits are typically conceptual in nature, with a focus on female empowerment. With so much negativity in the world, I find it important to focus on positive imagery and stories. By combining my figures with the natural elements that inspire the aesthetic of their portrait, I offer an alternative to the ugliness and negativity that is so dominant in our culture.
I choose my models based on their authenticity, sincerity, and self-confidence, rather than their appearance or body type because 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 still 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.
Many of my models undergo a metamorphosis of media across a series of portraits. I don’t have a strict formula or order for this development, preferring to see how inspiration informs their visual narratives. Some concepts start out as very traditional oil paintings before I envision them in other media, whereas others start as a drawing that is translated into a printmaking design or a painting on canvas. As an artist, the development of a strong visual narrative, is my primary goal.