10 MINUTES WITH Soraya FRENCH
Artists & Illustrators|September 2020
The Society of Women Artists (SWA) president on mixed media, bold colour and gender imbalance.
REBECCA BRADBURY
10 MINUTES WITH Soraya FRENCH

WHEN DID YOU KNOW YOU WANTED TO BE AN ARTIST?

It wasn’t my plan to be an artist. At school I concentrated on academic subjects. My art career has been built quite organically, through having a furious hobby and sheer determination.

ARE YOU SELF-TAUGHT?

Self-taught in as much as I didn’t have formal art training. Part of it was my own discipline and practicing hard, but over the years I’ve worked with some really outstanding artists and mentors.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SUBJECT TO PAINT?

Anything that allows me to indulge in playing with shape, colour and texture. Figurative art has been my favourite, but my students wanted me to teach landscapes and seascapes, and I’ve come to love these too.

HOW DID YOU DEVELOP YOUR MIXED MEDIA STYLE?

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