Frank Mitchell was born in 1937 in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. His "working" career was as an economist in Africa and then at the World Bank in Washington, DC. Enjoying his "retirement" career as grandfather and artist since returning to Metchosin family farm at the end of 1992.

Art Training:

• 1980-1992:Evening courses and workshops in Washington DC area, including with Walt Bartman (Bethesda Maryland), and Corcoran School of Art (Diploma in Painting, 1992).
• 1993-present: workshops and courses at Victoria College of Art, Vancouver Island School of Art, the Metchosin International Summer School of the Arts (every year), Bill Porteous workshops.

Exhibition History:

Group Shows:

• World Bank Staff shows 1990,1992
• Corcoran students juried show 1990,90
• Glen Echo National Park (Maryland), Paint Bethesda 1990
• Sooke Fine Arts 1993, 1995
• Xchanges Sketch group 1994,1995,1996
• Look 1995
• Alfrescos Plein Air annual shows 2009 to present
• Stinking Fish Studio Tour 2012 to present
• Following in Emily's footsteps, Juan de Fuca Recreation Centre 2012-13
• Glow Gallery since 2013

Individual Shows:

• Eclectic Gallery, Victoria, 2012
• With Sylvia Bews-Wright, MONSTERS, Metchosin Art Gallery 2012 and Community Arts Council of Greater Victoria 2013

Statement

My art attempts to portray "reality," an objective which is not always achievable through "look and put." Over the years, paintings in acrylics and oils with several themes have accumulated, such as annual self-portraits, "political" pieces stimulated by (upsetting) current events, views from the hotel rooms where I have stayed, records of the seasons and events around the farm, bodies and faces, and landscapes and panoramas which explore alternatives to standard perspective. I try to paint outdoors at least once per week, and most of my current works are plein air landscapes. Making pictures is a lot more fun than selling them, but I am always happy to see them go to good homes rather than into my basement or burn pile.