What is your name: 
Jade Francis (spelt the boy  way) Margaret Townsend
Do you have a formal art  education or are you a self taught artist: 
Well, I suppose you begin  self taught then... I went art school.
What is the style of your  pieces:
Graphic, illustrative and quite primal. 
Visually my work depicts painted scenes which include animals and forests. I arrange the paintings like installations, climbing on top of one another up a wall or meeting in a corner to empower a space. My work is about creating a new visual language through the collision of two cultures, I am half Maori and half English.
What is the medium in which  you work: 
Acrylic on  canvas.
What started you on your path  as an artist: 
Probably those short art  programmes for kids that would be on in the afternoon...you know, the ones which  would show you how to make a crocodile cd holder from a poster tube?  I loved  those art programmes, but... they would say all you needed were things from  around the house, then include obscure  things like Velcro dots or sticky eyes where the pupil's jiggle around. That was  pretty annoying... it meant i had to be  resourceful.
What is one of the most  important things that art has brought to your life: 
A  crocodile cd holder...ha,ha. Enjoying my own company.
What is your favorite genre of  art besides the one you work in: 
I love performance art and  all the possibilities it has at the time it is happening. The space, the  audience, the dancers/speakers... all the factors, so many different anomalies  which actually activate the work. 
Do you have art showings, and  if so what are they typically like: 
Busy!
Do you have a certain set of  clothes you make art in: 
I'm a pretty tidy painter so I don't have a painting  uniform but I'm always in my docs.
What has been the  most frustrating part of being an artist?
Never really feeling like one.
What is your favorite sandwich  of all time: 
Quite bloody hard. Anything  with brie.
Has this year brought about  any changes in your work, and if so what are they: 
Think less, paint more.
Who is your favorite artist  alive or dead: 
Frida Kahlo, people say I look a bit like her  too.
What is the most moving piece of artwork that you have seen in person:
It would have to be an exhibition, the Georg Baselitz  retrospective at the Royal Academy, London 2007.  
Do you have any animals, and  what do they think of your work: 
My cat Columbus ran  away, I hope it wasn't because he didn't like my  paintings. 
Do you have any upcoming  exhibitions you would like to share with us: 
Yes, organising a few  different things at the moment, you can keep up to date by checking my  blog.

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