Art training
1980-82 University of Natal, Durban, South Africa. Evening drawing, etching and painting classes with Andrew Verster and Diana Hulton
1983-1984 Byam Shaw School of Art, London. Short Term Studies
1991 City Lit, London. Illustration evening course
2024-2025 City Lit, London. Painting and Drawing Dialogues devised by Tony Hull, Chris Hough and Monika Kita
2025 The Art Academy, London. Watercolour: exploring the natural world; Beginner + oil painting
Exhibitions
2025 Under the same blue skies. National Garden Scheme, De Beauvoir open gardens
2023 An accompanied exhibition, an illustrated song Beaucatcher, Stoke Newington Church Street, London
2021 One a day during lockdown The Flying Frenchman, Newington Green, London
1998 Squares of Islington Islington Frames, London
1992 On the Edge of the City Barbican Centre Foyer, London
1991 Islington and Beyond Islington Frames, London
1988 Toronto in the Spring Rosedale gallery, Toronto, Canada
1985 Islands, Rooms and the Stairs to Heaven. Jack Heath Gallery, University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg
1984 Scenes of Camden Passage Judy Cole Gallery London
Group Shows
2014 Made in Hackney. St Mary’s Old Church, Stoke Newington
1991 Whaletail – East African Wildlife Art Exhibition, Nairobi, Kenya
1991 Diversity. Association of Illustrators Gallery, London
1990 Building Impressions. Association of Illustrators Gallery, London
1985 Three at the White Space. White Space Gallery, Cross Street, Islington, London
Commissions
2024 “Stories in the lid of a harpsichord”. Acrylic on poplar wood. Lid decoration depicting the spirit Stoke Newington. For Ruth Whitehead and Associates.
1984 – present Watercolour Commissions for private and corporate clients including: Maiden Lane, Covent Garden; The St Marylebone C.E. School; Virginia School, Tower Hamlets; Four London Theatres commissioned by Ray Jones of Centre Stage; Biddle and Co. Solicitors, Gresham Street, City of London; The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; The Royal Courts of Justice; The Royal Pavilion, Brighton; series of watercolours for a private box at the Arsenal Football stadium; Mosimann’s Dining Club (Formerly the Belfry Club; The Old Spitalfields Market; 6 watercolours of Fareham for RCB International; Visualisation of Northwood Tower for Hunt Thompson Associates; BMA Library visualisation for British Life Assurance Trust; numerous town and country house portraits commissioned by clients in UK, Canada, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
Collaborations: Art for health, education and community engagement
Publications
The Community Eye Health Journal (2003-2007) Editor and illustrator
Visual Directions: Sketchbooks and Reflective Writing. (2007) The London College of Fashion, University of the Arts. Illustrations for web-based resource
World Health Organization: illustrations including How to develop and implement a national drug policy (2001); Pictorial form for Mectizan distribution in West Africa (1999); Packaging of anti-malarial drugs in Africa (1997) Strengthening district health systems – case studies (1988)
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (1989) Health promotion case study presentation materials
John Snow International/DFID: editor and illustrator: Reaching a healthy adulthood: sexual and reproductive health for young people in poor societies. (2001) ICPD+5 Key actions to advance reproductive health and rights (2000) Reproductive health and health sector reform: experiences, opportunities and challenges (2000)
Macmillan Education Ltd. Cover illustrations: Partners in planning (2001) Turning the tide; safe motherhood. A district action manual (1993)
Letters to Grandma Grace by Victoria Francis. (1999) Macmillan Education/UNHCR Translations: French
Toolkit for integrating reproductive and sexual health and rights into sector wide approaches to Danish international assistance. (1999) Principal author and illustrator
The Healthy Eyes Activity Book (2007, 2nd Ed 1996, 1st Ed). International Centre for Eye Health, London. Francis V and Wiafe B. Translations: French, Spanish, Tamil, Sinhalese, Chinese, Tibetan, Gujarati, Maharati and Chichewa
The Healthy Women Counselling Guide Demonstration Package (1997) Geneva. WHO UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (1996-1998). Coordinator/Editor/Illustrator. Based on research and workshops with women in Kenya, Sierra Leone and Nigeria to generate stories and visual materials
Achieving Community Support for Trachoma Control. Francis, V and Turner V. (1995) WHO/PBL/93.36 Prevention of Blindness Programme, Geneva: World Health Organization. Translations: French
Hanyane – a Village Struggles for Eye Health. Sutter E, Foster A and Francis,V. (1989) London: Macmillan.Translations: French, Hindi, Bengali
Production, Dissemination and Use of Community Health Materials, especially for Women. Co-author and illustrator. (1987) The BLAT Centre for Health and Medical Education/ Institute of Education/ The Commonwealth Secretariat
Community engagement, workshops and teaching
2011-present Statham Grove Patient Participation Group, illustrations and publicity
2023 Visual notebook workshops, fundraiser for Dissenters N16
2016-2018 Workshops with Akwaaba Social Centre for Migrants: screen printing, greeting card design, portrait drawing
2018 Organized portrait exhibition with DissentersArts N16
2015 Visual notebook workshops for the National Trust, Jersey
1998 Team leader: Health learning materials development in the National Health Training System. Health link/Republic of Namibia
1992 Barbican Centre workshops Drawing the City in connection with my exhibition On the Edge of the City in the Barbican foyer
1992-1996 Work with communities in Oltepesi, Kenya for the ICEH/AMREF Trachoma Monitoring Project. Developed visual research tools for Trachoma Monitoring: maps, bead registers and booklets
1992-1996 “Draw and write” projects with school children in Ghana, Kenya and Zambia to gather stories and drawings about eye problems, leading to the publication The Healthy Eyes Activity Book
1994-1995 “Draw and write” in Pakistan, Bangladesh and India to gather stories and drawings leading to the research publication Health education, with special reference to HIV/AIDS education, in primary and secondary schools in Africa and Asia. Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
1992-1996 Teaching visual communication skills for health promotion component of Community Eye Health MSc courses. International Centre for Eye Health, Institute of Ophthalmology, London
1989-1993 Teaching visual communication skills to health workers. Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
1985-1987 Work with community nurses in Triangle, Zimbabwe to develop Tsigirai Uthano a newsletter printed on jelly copiers and silk screen, hand-made illustrated beam scales for grown monitoring and screen-printed posters and T shirts
1979-1982 Children’s weekend art workshops, Hillcrest, KwaZulu Natal
Drawing The Wind 