Franceska Alexander

I was born into a family of artists in 1955, musicians, sculptors, photographers, actors, and fashion designers. From my earliest memory I related to the avant garde and aspired to be a painter. I learned to draw from my Daddy, a sculptor and art collector. A natural visual artist and dancer, I developed an early esthetic for fine work.
Even though I had passion and creative dreams, life had a funny way of upstaging my world of youthful wishes. Most of my formal art education occurred at various community colleges throughout northern california over a span of 25 years. By the time I was 35 years old I painted regularly as a member of the Big Sur Painters Guild with Ronna Rio on Partington Ridge. I also owned and operated a small gallery and restaurant on the south coast of big sur. After a devastating fire burned up my gallery and many of my paintings, I moved to Nevada City. I continued to paint plein air studying some at the School of Light and Color in Fair Oaks with Susan Sarbuck. I took classes with Phil Brown and Lesley Rich in Venice. It was in Venice where I suddenly broke free from painting what I saw to painting what I felt. The urge was overwhelming and began a deeper journey into abstract impressionism.
I finished a bachelors of arts degree at the California Institute of Integral Studies in 2009 using visual art as a platform for my Masters of Fine Arts degree also at C.I.I.S.
I was represented in a three year exhibition in Uganda with the Art in the Embassies Program, 2005-2008. This summer I had a three month exhibition of “The Changing Planet”, a 15 paintings of abstract impressions I painted of the world. The reception was well attended by over 100 people, filmed and broadcasted on local television for World Environment Day. I am a current artist on the Nevada County Open Studio Tours, Danville City Gallery and a various small shows at C.I.I.S.
Since 1988 I have supported artists as a gallery owner at the Wildflower Gallery in Big Sur and the manager of Mowen Solinsky Gallery in Nevada City.
I am an artist in my heart, soul, spirit and bones, striving to divine an intimate dialogue and creating art that is meaningful.