Franka Struys on Nature, Freedom and Creating Together

Meet the Artist

The Portuguese landscape, particularly the west coast, is a strong influence on your work. What is it about this landscape that continues to inspire you?

The Portuguese west coast is still so pure and unspoilt. I am drawn to its ruggedness: the cliffs, the waves crashing against them and the beaches, especially along the Costa Vicentina. They are empty and vast, with dunes in so many different shades of sand.

Being at the coast stimulates my senses and calms me. It makes me feel alive and at one with nature. At the same time, experiencing the power and interaction of the elements, and watching the endless movement of the sea, reminds me that we are only a very small part of a much greater whole and an endless continuity.

You often work with locally sourced mineral pigments and natural materials. What do these materials bring to your paintings that conventional art materials cannot?

They bring natural colours that are softer and more muted. The textures of minerals, sand and earth also add another dimension to my paintings.

Using materials gathered locally also brings references to particular places and moments in time into the work. The landscape is not simply a subject to be painted. It becomes a physical part of the painting itself.

Your work is abstract, but it is deeply connected to real places, experiences and emotions. How do these elements find their way into your paintings?

I translate my experiences into an abstract visual language. I do not see my paintings as landscapes, and they are not intended to represent a particular view or place.

Simplification and putting things into perspective are important guiding principles in this process. The paintings may begin with an experience of the landscape, but they become something less literal and more reflective.

How has living and working in Portugal shaped your use of colour, texture and materials?

Portugal’s nature is extraordinary and a huge source of inspiration. The landscape offers an incredible range of natural colours and textures, from rock and mineral tones to sand, earth and vegetation.

That light, together with the natural environment, continues to influence the atmosphere of my paintings and the materials I choose to work with.

About the Workshop

Why do you think art can be such a powerful way for children to explore and express who they are?

Making art gives children the freedom to explore without worrying about whether their ideas are correct. Unlike activities where there may be a fixed answer or a particular way of doing something, art leaves room for instinct, curiosity and discovery.

That freedom can help children discover their own creative voice and communicate thoughts or feelings that might otherwise be difficult to explain.

The workshop will encourage families to create together. What can children and adults learn from one another when they make art side by side?

In everyday life, children are often expected to learn from adults. When they make art together, that relationship can shift. Adults have the opportunity to learn from children’s natural spontaneity, openness and imagination.

Making something side by side allows children and adults to play, exchange ideas and see one another from a different perspective. The artwork matters, but the shared experience of creating it can be equally valuable.

Nature, colour, shape and storytelling will all play a part in the afternoon. What inspired you to bring these different elements together?

These elements offer many different ways for children to think about and express who they are. A colour, form, texture or story can say something about us without needing to rely only on words.

Nature is not something separate from us. It is part of our memories, experiences and sense of place. The workshop will give each family space to explore that connection in their own way, with plenty of imagination and a few creative surprises along the way.

What do you hope children and their families will feel or take away from the workshop?

Above all, I hope it will be a happy, relaxed afternoon during which children and adults have time to enjoy one another’s company, experiment freely and create something together.

And, of course, I hope they go home with something beautiful that they have created and feel proud of.