B. 1885 – 1976

Brisbane-born Frances (Frank) Payne found success as both a fine artist and illustrator, working for major Australian brands. She studied painting at the Brisbane Technical College before continuing her studies in Paris and London, returning to Australia in 1907. 

Alongside her fine art studies, Payne was also a prudent businesswoman, completing commissions for newspapers, travel brochures and department store catalogues. After separating from her husband in 1928, it was this line of work that enabled her to support her three children, a rare feat for a woman of her era.  

Payne’s career was not, however, only confined to commercial and freelance design work. A member of the Society of Women Painters, she also produced evocative and romantic oil paintings, often of her children in nature. Through her own work and her advocacy for women in the arts, Payne became the first president of the Women’s Industrial Art Society in 1934 and received the King George VI Coronation Medal in 1937, cementing her credentials in the equitable development of Australian art. 

For a more in-depth biography of this artist, click here.