Julie-Anne Gilburt
Photographer Diana Frangi meets celebrity-artist Julie-Anne Gilburt
Julie Anne at the gallery with her celebrity canvases
Julie-Anne Gilburt is one of the country’s leading artists, known principally for her seascapes of Brighton and her portraits of Mike Tyson, Michael Watson, the angelic figure on the famous Fat Boy Slim greatest hits album, and many others. Later this year Julie-Anne is organising a charity auction of paintings by celebrities for the Willow Foundation in London and she has worked with many of them on their paintings. Celebrities contributing to her auction include Jude Law, Phil Tufnell and Matt Damon.
Julie-Anne with her husband Jon Gilburt
Julie-Anne with Mike Read at the gallery
How did you get into painting?
I have been painting since I was four years old, then at school, and later at art college. I spent some time teaching and finally I set up my own studio under the arches in Madeira Drive: the JAG gallery, arch 283a, Madeira Drive.
What would you be doing had you not become an artist?
I would be a ballet dancer, I used to take ballet classes when I was very young and I loved it almost as much as painting.
Which famous artist would you like to be?
I would like to be Beryl Cook – who died recently – she was so in touch with real people. The critics are sniffy about her but she’ll be remembered in 300 years time.
What is your biggest regret? Do you have any?
Oh I do! But I couldn’t put them in print!
Which song do you like to sing when you are in the shower?
I don’t actually sing, I hum in the shower. It could be some Frank Sinatra song or a Norah Jones song I really like.
If I gave you £20,000 tomorrow, what would you do with it?
I would like to take my two daughters to travel around India and show them the work that people do there, like my friend’s charity for example. They work very hard to stop people from catching bad diseases.
Julie-Anne with Stephen Kalinich at the Magic Hand
