Frances’ love of all things drawing started in childhood, when she dived into an obsession with poster paints and making a big mess on every available surface. This hasn’t changed much. She still works primarily in water-based media, but these days she mostly tries to keep it on the paper.

Frances takes her inspiration from the structures and people that surround her, drawing from both observation and memory of a place or time. Originally from rural north Lincolnshire, city living and the people and culture it brings has influenced a lot of her work, and her debut picture book Maybe the Moon (2018, LOM Art, Michael O’Mara) was inspired by her changing environments. Her most abiding source of inspiration is still the constant yet ever-changing sky, and all of its colours.

Frances Ives is represented by Susan Penny — to work with Frances please email Susan