Francesca Watson

I’m Francesca, a self-taught artist and printmaker living and working in Edinburgh. For me creating a piece of art is like going on a journey into the unknown. It starts with a vague idea which only really takes shape as you begin to work on it. But even then, is never fully understood until the artwork is finished and the destination reached.

I am inspired in some part by beautiful creatures in nature – human or otherwise – and in some part by fleeting images in my imagination. My work is sometimes realistic and sometimes more stylised. But often it contains a sense of movement and expression which is a continuation of the very real excitement I feel every time I’m carving lino or wielding a paintbrush or drawing with a piece of charcoal.

I started my artistic journey (as an adult) in 2012 when I decided to have a go at lino printing in my spare time. After honing my linocut skills over several years I recently discovered a passion for drawing from life and painting figures, which I never knew I had. I currently feel an inescapable urge to push my artistic boundaries even further and experiment with different drawing and painting mediums and to try new printmaking techniques. Here’s to new adventures!