Frances Parkinson

Venue

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Venue Facilities

Artist statement

Making is how I process experience and support my wellbeing. My wall pieces combine intuitive printing, painting and drawing, inspired by nature’s colours and textures, with music woven into the process. Some reveal everything; others hold framed areas for quiet contemplation. All are uplifting and made with love for you to enjoy. Frances is one of this year’s Devon Open Studios bursary winners, exhibiting with M6 – The White Room Creative Space. See the M6 listing for opening dates and times.

Extended Bio

I was born in Greater Manchester before growing up in North Wales, where the landscapes of Snowdonia sparked a lifelong love of the natural world that continues to inspire my work. After studying Fine Art and teacher training in Cardiff, I moved to Cornwall, drawn by the sea, the light, and a warmer climate. A career in education and education technology followed, but the pull to become an artist never quite went away. In 2021 I began an MA in Illustration at Falmouth University, graduating with distinction in 2025. Now based in Devon, though always drawn back to Cornwall by hiraeth, I took the leap in 2026 to leave my career behind and become a full-time practising artist. Eeek! My artwork is a record of navigation, a way of mapping my internal landscape when traditional communication fails. I am a late-diagnosed AuDHD (Autism and ADHD) artist. For years, I struggled with invisible barriers to making: sensory overload, executive dysfunction, and a lifetime of "masking" to fit in. My current practice is the result of a deliberate, researched effort to dismantle these barriers and reclaim my creative voice. I use the term "internal reportage" to describe my making process. Rather than capturing a literal, physical view, my work documents a psychological terrain. All my artworks are constructed in physical layers—mirroring the way our neurological pathways are built from layers of experience.