Francis Herbi M.

Akwesasronon poet, painter' and photographer.
By Ian Oakes
Indian Time Vol 31 No.38
September 26, 2013

Some of you may know well-traveled photographer Herbi M. Francis. Francis is soon to enjoy the accolades her work surely deserves at an exhibition entitled "Existence: of All That Is, Was & Became", which will be presented by the Foothills Art Society, all through the month of October. Existence will be shown at 213 Main St. in Malone NY right next to the Foothills Art Society. I say next to because Francis was able to convince show organizers to show her work in a larger space, giving her license to make Existence exactly what it should be.

Francis is 26 years old and has had an interesting life to date. Beginning her love of photography at ten years old with a 35m Canon, Francis was eventually given a digital camera for her birthday, and the rest, as they say, is history. As a teenager, Francis was a model who traveled back and forth to Ottawa. Francis- said her modeling experience toughened her up, allowing her to accept constructive criticism, which will be perfect as she takes her artistry to the next level, as well as helping to develop her sense of lighting and composition. Extensive traveling to interesting and exotic locales has given Francis a wealth of subjects to capture.

Francis described herself as a careful observer and people watcher - always observing, always watching. "The biggest thing that attracted me to this is there's so many magical moments in existence, and its not just people, it's about everything in existence. That's why I went with the title, because it would give me a broad range to showcase myself and what I'm about," Francis said.

It is not just people that give Francis inspiration; she also draws a tremendous amount of inspiration from being out in her natural surroundings. For example our interview was conducted outdoors in her back yard, with a fire going in the background, and it really drove home the idea that she is tied to the outdoors. In addition to being an outdoors woman, Francis is also a trades woman who works for Barry Thompson at Custom Homes as well as helps run Tre' Tile, a tile and flooring contractor, with her partner, Trevor.

"That's how I spend my time. Working hard, being dirty, and trying to capture the moments of the participants of existence. The participants range from the leaves on the trees, to the flies that are in hatch, to the flowers that are in bloom, to the people that are connecting to each other or their surroundings," Francis said.

Having already had her work showcased in PICEIICONNECTED Magazine, Francis is looking to use her show as a jumping off point, being open to
the opportunities this presents for her as an artist and a venue to display, and hopefully sell some of her work. Francis said, "I'd like to acknowledge the women of the Foothills Art Society: Nancy Child, Beverly Quenville, and Julia Holmes who have welcomed me with open arms when I was looking for a place to start, and Terry Allen along with John Mills for allowing me to use the space."