Rosy Burke took up painting when she retired as an award winning graphic designer, illustrator and photographer. Her favourite subjects to paint are heavy horses and farm animals plus landscapes and flowers with a few vegetables thrown in. Lately she has been experimenting with laying and overlaying colours to achieve what she thinks are magical unexpected effects.

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In 2017 she won the Public Vote at the South Northants Open Exhibition at the Michael Heseltine Gallery with her painting of 'Three's Company', one of her sheep paintings.

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Rosy says: "I always loved art and as a child I invented cartoon people and space monsters. I loved my Box Brownie camera and took a lots of photos and portraits that I am still proud of today.

 

I went to Oxford Polytechnic to study graphics and photography. While I was there I designed posters and sets for a Victorian melodrama at Oxford Playhouse which starred students Giles Brandreth, Michael Wood (the historian) and Oz Clarke (the wines expert). I also designed publicity for the first family planning clinic which was a tough brief at the time. I designed and illustrated The Romano Drom Songbooks 1 and 2 and dabbled in silver jewellery making and ceramics.

 

After college I worked in a graphics studio in Westminster and then moved to Banbury where I worked at a local printers. I then set up as a freelancer at home. Over the years the practice grew in size and staff and won the first Best Small Business in Banbury presented by Murray Walker. Clients ranged from small start ups to huge international companies.

 

In 2005 I entered the BBC Countryfile Photo Competition and won the Judges Prize. Later, the BBC asked me to help with the judging for the Countryfile Calendar - which I did as a Long Listing Judge for nine years in all.

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Now retired, I have found a huge amount of pleasure and challenge in painting many subjects, stretching my abilities and every now and then working in print making, glass or ceramics.