Local creative & cover artist Debbie Shrimpton created her first illustration during lockdown. Today, her joyful portraits make heartfelt gifts
For 20 years mother-of-two Debbie Shrimpton worked as a childrenswear fashion designer. After more than a decade with M&S, she’d gone freelance and was comfortably set in her career, working with retailers all over the world. But then the coronavirus hit… “All retailers stopped using freelance designers due to excess stock and an enforced change to their in-house systems,” she recalls.
“During lockdown I was home schooling my children Poppy and Rosie with the added pressure of having no income for us.
“I had to find a way to diversify and generate an income fast. My friend’s birthday was approaching and as I couldn’t choose a gift in a shop I decided to draw her home, pop it in a frame I already had and give her a present saying: ‘Sorry this is the best I could come up with’. My friend was so delighted with her house portrait that she encouraged me to advertise on the local Facebook groups offering house portraits.”
That first Facebook advert in 2020 revealed a market. “Within two weeks I had received 18 orders for house portraits for people I didn’t know,” says Debbie. “This gave me confidence that I had created something people (other than my friends!) wanted to buy.”
Because house portraits were only saleable to one customer, Debbie decided to build a portfolio of Loved Local Landmark illustrations starting with all her favourites. She has an ongoing series of High Street illustrations of beloved market towns, including Amersham, Chesham, Wendover and Great Missenden. “One of my favourite places to illustrate has been the Sunflower Fields near Wigginton,” says Debbie. “This was inspired by visits to the PYO sunflower fields with my children: it’s such a mesmerising, happy sight and I believe I’ve captured this happiness in my illustration. It’s proved to be one of my best-selling illustrations along with the stunning bluebell woods, another of my favourite local scenes.”
Her illustrations can take anything from four hours to several days – and Debbie now has quite a collection. “I have now drawn more than 400 houses, 200 cars and campervans, more than 75 wedding venues, 100+ business premises, 14 aeroplanes, many pubs and 35 Loved Local Landmarks,” she smiles.
“I’ve done many unusual bespoke commissions for customers including a scaffold yard as a memento before demolition, a wild swimming pond, a treasured beach hut, a football ground, a memorable cricket match, an aeroplane flying over a donkey, and even a spot where a customer proposed to capture that memory.
“I’ve been asked to do draw people but have declined as how people look is much more subjective… Buildings, vehicles and landscapes are more straightforward! I sometimes include silhouettes of people with their dogs walking in their favourite locations or pets outside homes but don’t like to draw detailed portraits of faces.”
Thus far about 70% of Debbie’s commissions have been in Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire but she continues to grow her portfolio. “This year I bought a Debbie Shrimpton Illustrates branded gazebo and I’ve done numerous markets and shows, including the St Francis Hospice Classic Car Show, Hyde Heath village fete & car show, Ashridge House Garden Party, Redbourn Classic Car Show, Lucky Duck Makers Market, Peterley Manor Farm Christmas market and Chiltern Made, to name just a few.”
The latest string to Debbie’s bow has been hosting illustration workshops in primary schools as a visiting local artist. She has inspired children with her story of resilience and adapting to change and taught step-by-step classes to draw landmarks, encouraging confidence in creativity and giving an example of a career created out of something she loves.
“The positive response I’ve had has been overwhelming. The support from my local community, especially to promote me and commission me has been incredible. But the biggest surprise has been how grateful and complimentary my customers have been. After so many years working in the fast- paced world of fashion, I’m used to working under pressure, to tight deadlines churning out designs without seeing the joy on the customer’s face when they purchase. Meeting my customers has been fantastically rewarding and motivating. The feedback I get is heart-warming. Some of my illustrations have even brought tears to the recipient’s eyes.”
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