Happy January 2012

Hello!

I trust you all had a good Christmas and are getting settled into the new year of 2012!

I’m happy to tell you that I feel invigorated after my 2 weeks off over the holidays.  I’ve not taken 2 weeks off together for a few years, and despite having a really horrible virus over new year and the first week of January, it was really worth it.

Over the last week I have been working with my Dad, Henry W Vincent in organising our first exhibition together.  I’m so proud to tell you that Dad and I will be putting on a show in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk starting 31st March.  Its very exciting as he hasn’t ever had an exhibition despite being a good artist.  He’s now 68 and is really happy to finally be doing a show!  We are both landscape artists, in acrylics and watercolours.  We differ in our styles though – Dad is a realist painter and I am a contemporary painter.   We are both influenced by landscapes that we encountered as young people – for Dad it is the Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland and for me it is fields and trees of Suffolk/Norfolk.  I’m really looking forward to this exhibition and I will share more with you as time progresses over the next 10 weeks and through the launch event on 31st March.

Here is an example of Dad’s work:

The Trassy Bridge and River ©Henry W Vincent

In other news, I have finally moved my studio.  I have a whole room now, with 3 easels and a table to work on!  Such bliss!!   I moved over last Friday, Saturday and Sunday and started work in there today! Its such a nice room.  It faces North too which is great as there’s no glaring sunshine, just diffuse light.

Here are some photos:

        

I’ll be spending many hours in here – it feels just right already

That’s all for now, see you next time with some photos of happy customers and their paintings hopefully ☺

New Watercolours

Some new watercolour paintings to share with you.  I used Winsor & Newton artists quality paint on Arches NOT (rough) and Arches Hot pressed (extra smooth) paper.  The creation of textures was made using salt, dilute bleach and cling film.

Enjoy!

All images ©Deborah Eileen Burrow 2011

Last Commission of the year

I’ve had a very busy time recently.  I’m pleased to be up to date, and finally working on the last commission to be completed by Christmas.  I’m really enjoying working on it.  Its a painting similar to one I sold recently this summer.  Its on a larger canvas, based on this one:

"Summer Is Here" ©Deborah Eileen Burrow 2011 (SOLD)

and will possibly be featuring some young children playing in the sand according to my customer’s request.  The beach huts are taken from a photo I took in Southwold, Suffolk.  This particular row are quite famous and easily recognised by many.  Because the new canvas is a different size and aspect ratio, it will look different and I will be changing one of the beach hut’s colour too.   No two paintings by me of the same subject are the same anyway, and this is no exception  - I want it to be different. I think the person who owns the original would want it to be too.

The sky was a bit of a challenge this time – constantly changing with lots of manipulation of paint!  My father is a realist painter and he couldn’t help butting in whilst I was doing it (we were on one of our regular painting days together) and kept pointing out that the sky was far too continental in color in my painting compared to the British blue sky!  So I had fun discussing with him that the colours were important in my painting so they go together well, and make the beach huts pop out in the painting.  Dad paints what he sees, I use a lot of artistic license!  (Unless of course I’m doing a pet portrait.)  We enjoy our discussions

Whilst I’ve been working on that, and waiting for paint to dry, I’m working on a smaller painting featuring my orange, burnt sienna and gold autumnal trees on a tintoretto deep edge birch painting panel.  I love using these panels, and probably do about 70% canvas and 30% wood panel paintings these days.

Alongside the work in the studio, I am planning for 2012.  4Networking has been exceptionally helpful with this.  I have received business advice as well as galleries recommended to me from all over the UK.  I am still really enjoying my role as Area Leader for 4Networking, and have recently given talks on my story in the last 18months, and on the relationship between working on a painting from start to finish and how it compares to customer care.  All very positively received.  Some lovely testimonials here.

Well that is all for now.  Thanks, as always for your continual support.

Back soon

Good News!

I was successful in my application!!

Here’s a date for your diary

Birdsong

I’ve had a very busy and very positive few weeks.  All my commission artworks are going well, and I have more on my easel which means I’ll be busy until Christmas!  I am very grateful for this abundant work.  I think this is mainly to do with my marketing strategy this year, via 4Networking especially since I became Area Leader for South Suffolk.  I love my job with 4N and the people I meet every week.  I have learnt a lot about self belief, business tips, marketing, sales pitches, engaging in a business conversation and much more.  It really has helped turn my art aspirations into a career.  Happy days!

Recently I’ve painted two new pieces that I hope will be appearing in the Christmas exhibition at the Apex in Bury St Edmunds.  I have used deep edge high quality birch painting panels for these and they look great.  The theme was based around music, and with my love for nature and landscapes I settled on these:

Song of the Swallows ©Deborah Eileen Burrow 2011

Dawn Chorus © Deborah Eileen Burrow 2011

I am really happy with the way these turned out.  I used some designs I have used on smaller artworks before, and combined them with my signature trees and backround.

This week I will be taking some paintings to a small gallery in Woodbridge, Suffolk.  The owner is lovely and I’m hoping she’ll be pleased with my selection.  I’ll let you know how I got on next time. (19/10/2011 – I’m pleased to say they took 7 paintings and they are now available there at The Taplin Gallery in Woodbridge, Suffolk).

Yesterday I received a commission via my online shop .  I’ve been asked to do an illustrated ring box  with a personalised design.  I love doing these little projects in between paintings.  Pyrography illustration is something I can do sitting in the front room in the evenings, especially in the winter because it warms me up!  The last few nights have been quite chilly so a bit of heat engraving is welcome

This week some new supplies arrived, including some slate pieces for me to paint.  I painted a load of slate about 18months ago, which have been used for presents for family and friends.  They featured white trees, moons, leaves and sparkles.  I’m going to carry on with that theme on my new supplies and put them in the online shop over the next few weeks.

Well, that’s all the news I have for you this week.

‘Til next time – keep creative and enjoy life!

Debs