Welcome to the nineteenth blog post from Mina, our apprentice technician.
Frances Walker’s practice focuses on landscape, from views of seaside towns to Antarctic huts. Her style ranges from illustrative and sketchy to detailed and painterly. With this stylistic range she shows us her perception of the landscapes around us and gives us a glimpse into how she views the world.
I’m particularly drawn to her artwork ‘Findlater Castle’ which we have in the collection. I’ve spent many days walking along this particular stretch of coastline. Walker somehow finds a way to show us the view but also the atmosphere of a place. Looking at this piece I can imagine what it was like the day she stood there, a little stormy and cloudy as it often is on the north-east coast, although she has still managed to evoke a sense of calm throughout the piece.
Frances walker was born in 1930 in Kirkaldy and studied at Edinburgh College of Art. After graduating she spent time teaching in the Outer Hebrides before moving to Aberdeen, teaching at Gray’s School of Art and being a founding member Peacock Printmakers Workshop in 1976.
At the age of 76 Walker travelled to Antarctica. She is interested in extreme and far places, places left untouched.
Her work has an analytical sense to it like geology, landscapes are stacked and layered, a good example of this would be her work “Green Geom” where the cliff edge opens out onto the sea with a green field sitting above.
It’s amazing to see Frances Walkers view and perception of the landscape. Her ability to show and document how she sees the world in her work is incredibly inspiring.
Caring for the Collection is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund Scotland.
Thanks to National Lottery players, we will be able to dedicate time to improve the condition of our artworks currently in our store, so that they will be able to be displayed in health and social care settings across Scotland.
Museum & Galleries Technician Modern Apprenticeship is supported by Museums Galleries Scotland provider of the apprenticeship, mentor and SCQF level 7
3 September 2026 by
Vanessa Paynton