1. Good morning/afternoon,welcome andthankyouforallowingme tointroduce mybusinesstoyou.
Monica BurrowsArt and Design.
Is a home based small businesswhere I workfrommy studiodesigningandhandpaintingimagesto
be printedontofabricfor furnishings,aswell ascontinue topaint andexhibitmyartworkandtutor
art classesforboth childrenandadults.
The inspirationformy textile design comesfrommylove of decoratingand painting, inparticular,
botanicals. While researchingmycompetitors,Ifoundthatmanyof the products,particularly
cushions, were basicandpoorlyfinished,andexpensive forwhattheywere.
I feel thatmy productsare comparable tosupplierswithwhomIamindirect competition and
withinthe upperprice bracket where Ibelieve, isinthe place inthe market,where Iwant to be.
The name isstraightforwardand sayswhoI am andwhat I do.In designingthe logoIhave useda
cursive scriptinkeepingwiththe classical elegance of myproductline.
Overthe past semesterIhave workedtoproduce a small sample range…Ihave chosen4 Botanical
themesformycushions,ottomans,lampshadesandtable runner, towhichIwill be adding more
designsandproducts, inthe nearfuture.
In orderto correctlyportray the flowersIhadto reallygetto know all the parts of the plantsand
sketchedandpaintedsomanyof them.
The passionflowermotif came frommygardenwhere itgrowsrampantly.Onresearching
passionfruitflowersIfoundthattheycome in manydifferentcolours,so,myseconddesignscame
fromthe redvariety.
Thirdly,the magnoliaseries…myfavouriteflower,alsocomesinmanybeautiful creamytones And
the last one,the Poppycollectionwhichatpresentonlyhas2 productsbut more designsare inthe
planning.
Sketchingisat the veryheartof mycreative process.Iresearchmy subjectmaterial exhaustively,
and thenthe drawingbegins,firstlooselyandquicklytobringmyideastolife.Thenaftermuch
refiningmyfinal sketches,theyare painstakinglypaintedwithtextural gauche andacrylicwith a
textile mediumadded.
As a base cloth, for mostof the furnishingsIhave usedaburnoutblindfabric topainton, fortwo
reasons,firstlytohave a stable base onwhichto paint,andsecondlytoadd interest,texture and
tone..
I have alsousedoutdoorwaterproof fabricasa base cloth to painton,but I’mguessingthatthe uv
coatingis stoppingthe paintfrombeingabsorbedandthereforthe paint isstartingto flake off.Iam
goingto lookintothisfurther.
Unfortunatelythe blindfabricisn’tsuitablefor mostof the softfurnishings,asit’sabittoo stiff but
it’sa good base for the originals.The finished designswill be printedondifferentbase-cloths. Using
a processof highresolutionphotographs,of the originalhandpainteddesigns, toscale andthen

2. withthe aidof the sublimation printingprocess, be printed onhemp,linen,silkandweatherproof
fabricin small runsand special orders. Theycanthenbe laundered/andorusedoutdoors.
The furnishingshave beenfinished - withqualitytrimmings. The MonicaBurrowsDesign style is
classical andtimeless.
I feel thatthe product meets the targetaudience expectations inquality,styleanddesign.Ithink
that goodquality,higherpricedpiecesshouldstandthe testof time andnot be a victimtotrends..
I have createdthe prototypes,bysewingthe cushionsandtable runner,paintingand finishingthe
lampshades,andhandmakingthe ottomans.These willbe usedassamples,andinthe future I
woulduse a commercial workroomand upholsterybusinesstoproduce them.
I have 20 + yearsof experienceworkingasanInteriorDesignerandhave alwayslovedworkingwith
colourand fabric,inparticularDesignersguildproducts.
As a resultof thisI have extensivelyresearchedtheircompanyandmethods,andalsodiscovered
manysimilaritiesbetweenmyworkandthat of theirdesigners.
I personally feel thatalotof depthandpainterlyqualitieshave beenlostwiththe arrival of digital
printing.Manyare purelyphotosprinted,andmade intocushionsforexample,andlookcheapand
mean.
A large percentage of DesignersGuildfabricsandwall papers are paintedbyartistsinwatercolour,
gouche and acrylicon heavyart-paper,andthenprintedbysublimationordigitallyonqualitybase
cloths.
Thankfullythere isstillacall for handpainteddesignswithinthe industryandtheyare appreciated
and reveredfortheiroriginalityandbrushwork.Itismyintentiontostaytrue to mycraft and
produce mywork inthisway.
The range I have producedistargetedtoan upmarketclientele,andwillbe made available to
InteriorDesignersandselecthomewaresstores,whospecialiseinupmarketdesignandstyling.
Monica BurrowsArt and Designwill offeraservice of individuallydesignedfabricsorfabricsto
coordinate withexistingfurnishings.
I will advertisebywayof my facebookpage,website,onlinestore andhopefullyanagent.Iwill also
be available forfreelance workwithexistingfabriccompanies.
I am reallylookingforwardtoexpandingandcreating acomplete range of homewares,including
designsforbed,bathand table,alongwithfurnishing,draperyandupholsteryfabrics.
Please feelfree toaskanyquestionsandhave a closerlookat mywork.