Emma Burns - Local Artist

Local Artist, Emma Burns, has created an original decorative door topper for the 270th Anniversary of Lisburn. (shown above) Ms. Burns graciously agreed to be interviewed on our community blog.

These decorated boards are available for sale. For more information on the details of the board, please click here to visit our website

1. Who are you, and what do you do?
My name is Emma Burns and I am an Artist.

2. How long have you lived in the area?
I've lived in the area off and on for about 35 years.

3. How long have you been an artist? Did you go to school for it? Self taught?
I've been an artist all my life. As far back as I can remember I drew or scribbled pictures that people recognized. I worked as a graphic artist for about 25 years and had some education in that area. About 15 years ago I retired from that area of art and began a new career of painting on all sorts of things, i.e., wood, tin, canvas furniture. You name it, I've painted on it.

4. What inspires your art?
I'm inspired by anything God has created, as well as some of man's creations. I've painted oceans, country scenes, lighthouses, covered bridges, old homes, barns, horses, dogs, cats and people. I'm inspired by just about anything.

5. Do you have a favorite subject?
My favorite, I suppose, is painting lighthouses. We have visited many of them all up and down the East Coast, the Great Lakes and The West Coast.

6. How did the idea for a Lisburn decorative board come about?
One day a man by the name of Tom Banks called me and said that he had seen one my of door toppers that I had created of Mechanicsburg and wanted one just like it with buildings from his town of Lisburn. This request expanded my repertoire of door toppers. I have about ten different towns that I have done.

7. What did you do to research the sites that are included on the board?
To create a door topper requires about 8 photos or drawings of old buildings. I sometime take these with my digital camera or use ones supplied by the client.

8. Where can we find your work?
You can find my work at my home or at the 2nd Floor Gallery in Mechanicsburg.

9. Do you have a catchphrase-style philosophy on life and/or art?
I'm a realist, and everything I paint is a real place or thing. I do use artist prerogative at times and add a different color or object that I think might enhance a painting. Everything God has created is perfect, and I don't feel I need to change a thing.

The Celebrate Lisburn! committee would like to thank Emma Burns for her generosity. Ms. Burns will donate 25% of the proceeds of each door topper sale to the committee's fund raising efforts.