Conversations with Yvonne Coleman Burney

Today we’d like to introduce you to Yvonne Coleman Burney.

Hi Yvonne, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Art was introduced to me as a child I was eight years old when I found a wooden box at one of the local thrift stores my mom used to frequent on Saturdays.

While begging her for that quarter for the box without even looking I knew it was something inside that would change me in some way, which it did.

At that young age, I knew how I felt about it but there were so many nay-sayers and variables that art became deferred for a long time. Yet it was always in my heart.

But I moved on to what my mother thought would be a respectful job and give me the means to take care of myself. So, I graduated and attended junior college majoring in graphic design and photography little did I know that the Universe was teaching me all I needed for my journey into the art world.

Years went by working as a photographer and graphic designer I learned a lot, so I begin to really get into fashion and soon I cultivated my own magazine online at one of the largest magazine distributors Magzter the magazine Designer Original Magazine was a hit giving designers, models, photographers a place to shine and showcase their work. After 5 years I introduced the second magazine called The Boss Mann which was a magazine just for men.

After the second going on the third year, the nagging call of the paintbrush was calling me home, so I ignored the call for another year. By now I was in my 60s and retired my children were grown, and one grandson. I had nothing else to prove I had made it this far and now it was time to explore the burning passion that had fueled my soul most of my life.

I jumped right in paintbrush blazing. It took me a while to decide what direction I wanted to go but when I started collaging with paper and digitally, I knew I was home, and I wasn’t ever leaving again.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
There were a lot of struggles in the beginning not a lot of places were excepting my kind of art. Sure, I knew how to create flowers and farm items, etc. But that’s not what I wanted to do, I want to stay true to my culture.

There weren’t people taking art submissions for digital and paper collage artists years ago. So, it was a struggle to get yourself out there, I had to get creative, think out of the box and work even harder, and speak louder to be seen.

Being a huge fan of Romare Bearden art, and Basquiat, am thankful that they paved the way for artists like me that do not paint portrait pictures that can paint and draw beautiful black people.  For me, I feel I still have a voice and many stories to tell I am just grateful that today more and more are becoming open to digital collage as art like they have paintings.

I can paint an abstract piece of work in about an hour. To do some of my digital work it’s a lot of details and it could take days to get it right. I feel it is just as special and  beautiful as any piece of artwork.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I think what I am known for is my Woman in Bloom collection years ago it was my Afrofuturistic work.

But the woman in bloom is a dedication to women for the strong women that they are, most women are resilient, and they are fearless they are endless in everything they do. To me, they are not celebrated enough for all they go through and put up with.  Am proud of the collection and it’s the number one seller on iCanvas.com and Art.com.  The collection is mostly digital painting filters and sometimes ink.

 I am coming along with my Paper collage which is shown mostly on my Instagram. I get dm all the time asking where do I get these powerful concepts from. I can only say that it’s simply my storytelling from my past, present, and the future to come. I will continue to speak on those unsaid things we should address with our voice whether it’s music, art, or writing for me it will be through my art.

I feel the only thing that truly sets me apart is my truth and the fact that I am a baby boomer with lots of history and stories still to tell.

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
My mentor was Bob Procter and the things that I learned from him were changing my paradigm, and working on my mindset. It changed my life once I realized am the author and finisher of my faith. I think for anything to go right in your life it starts with you!

You must believe you can, and you will. It has nothing to do with your age, your race, your circumstance, it’s you, how bad do you want that thing you’re embarking upon? Well don’t stop till you get it, nothing is stopping you but you.

I also look to artists that I admire, and I research them to find out how they started what they did and incorporate that into my art business. Everyone isn’t willing to share with you, but I am self-taught I learned a lot through trial and error and watching a lot of YouTube.

Contact Info:

• Email: yvonne@artbyycolemanburney.com
• Website: www.artbyycolemanburney.com
• Instagram: @art.by.ycb
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArtistYvonneColemanBurney/