Home is where the ART is: Look inside portrait artist Gerard M. Burns’ mansion home

The images have thrust Gerard M. Burns into the spotlight and afforded him and his family a luxury home just north of the city.

Earlier this year, he exhibited in New York for the first time and counts many of the A-listers he paints as friends.

His home in Dullatur, near Cumbernauld, is where it all began.

Built in the 1870s, the house is set in a quiet, leafy street overlooking the Campsie Fells.

He reveals: “We first moved here about eight years ago, after having searched for a place in Glasgow that I could use as a commercial gallery space.

“After looking for some time we decided instead to find somewhere bigger locally that we could use for both living and working in.

“I was brought up in Cumbernauld and Dullatur was the place I always looked up to, these were the big hooses I aspired to, but never imagined living here one day.”

A teacher for 10 years at St Aloysius’ College in Glasgow, Gerard originally studied painting at Glasgow School of Art then worked as a session guitarist for bands such as Del Amitri.

But he put aside his musical dreams after realising it was not the life for him. He thrived on teaching.

However it was a period in his life marked by highs and lows.

Having laid claim to increasing the size of the art department at St Aloysius’ two-fold, ill health saw him quit full-time teaching. He then threw himself into painting and his work has been highly in demand.

His home and work space play an important part in his success. It’s a spacious house with four bedrooms and three reception rooms,

“The house burnt down in 1990 so when we moved in we had to renovate completely,” Gerard says.

“A young millionaire had lived there and everything was very brown and looked dated.

“The first thing we did was paint everything white. Then we put in a sunroom between the kitchen and the garden.

“Bizarrely, before that there was only one small door leading to the garden, but the garden is such a big part of our home.

“The sunroom changed everything, as we now have a room that’s always bright and somewhere to enjoy the garden from a sheltered point.

“One of the reasons we were so keen on this house was the large garden, it is almost one acre of land.”

He added: “I was excited to build my own studio and it’s a marvellous space to work in.

“It is quite hidden but there is a lot of space inside for painting.”

At the heart of the house is the kitchen, which Gerard’s wife Ellen designed with a fabulous island – great for cooking and entertaining.

More than anything Gerard finds the house provides a wonderful backdrop for his paintings and is a great space for the couple’s children and their son’s music.

“The house works very hard,” Gerard admits.

“I stage two formal exhibitions here every year. I feel that the house was waiting for us and we have brought it to life.

“It is a creative hub between the music of my son and my art.”