A Painting A Day

Eastbourne-based artist and founder of the town’s Artists Open Houses tells Simone Hellyer how creating a painting a day was the key to his success

- Simone Hellyer

It was two railway poster-style paintings of East Sussex created for the House of Lords which led Eastbourne-based painter Julian Sutherland-Beatson on the path to becoming a professional artist. And since 2008 he has been helping other local artists to do the same by launching Eastbourne Artists Open Houses.

The event, which was first launched by Julian as part of Eastbourne Festival, will return to the town this April for its 11th year, something that continues to surprise its founder. “Because I know so many local artists and I have a background in graphic design I was asked to put a brochure together. Through that we got 40 to 50 people taking part and it went really well. Since 2010 I’ve done two a year; one at Easter and one at Christmas,” he says, adding: “There are quite a few people who joined us at the start who are still with us and there’s always new artists joining us. Each time I do it I say if there aren’t enough people taking part, we won’t do it, but so far there have always been enough.”

Julian always exhibits at the event himself. He believes that open houses are a great way to open up the art world and give fledgling artists the confidence to start approaching galleries and marketing their work.

His first steps in self-marketing came in 2004 when responded to a call by the House of Lords for contemporary paintings in the style of 1930s travel posters.