‘I’ve never worked harder’ says Buxton artist celebrating ten years

Francesca Bilinis from Francesca Bilinis Art says people do not realise that her art is her job and her income.

She said: “People ask me if I’m still doing my little bit of painting or tell me how they would like to work from home.

“But since I decided to become an artist I’ve never worked harder.

“Not only have I taught myself how to design a website and make prints of my work I also have to have stock ready for a market which can be cancelled at short notice due to bad weather.”

Francesca regularly sells at Macclesfield market but during winter she has had three markets in a row cancelled.

She took up art while on maternity leave, having always enjoyed it and then decided to go for it and now her hall way is her home office.

Since Covid, she says, there has been a shift away from buying large pieces.

“We came out of lockdown and straight into the cost of living crisis and I understand that art is a luxury but for me that art is my income, how I pay my bills.”

Francesca, 37, does book illustrations as well watercolour paintings of Buxton and Derbyshire landscapes but wants to do more abstract art going forward.

“The Trading Post used to stock my work but they sadly closed and with the closure of the Green Man Gallery and the Buxton Museum and Art Gallery we need the town to get behind local artists.

“I love what I do and I love creating art for other people but there needs to be a new outlet in the town that can support artists new and old and allow them to showcase their work properly.”

Francesca says this year, which is her tenth anniversary of being an artist, she wants to bring her art to more people.

“I’d love the opportunity to take over an empty shopping unit as a pop-up and maybe share with other artists and bring back the artistic culture that we have sadly lost recently I think that would be great.”

To view Francesca’s art visit francescabilinisart.co.uk/