We asked Wiltshire-based figurative artist, Rosemary Burn, to share five artworks that have inspired her and explain the reasons why. She's selected works by Michael Andrews, Joan Eardley, Constantin Brâncuși, Paul Cézanne and Robert Buhler.

Michael Andrews - Lights VII: A Shadow

"This painting of the shadow of a balloon floating along a shoreline takes us drifting in an anonymous dreamscape; a curious and haunting image – a balloon which is both there and not there. Shadows, and the lights and colours they contain, have always interested me. I love the fact that they contain the properties of an object, but yet they are unreal and dreamlike; I often include them in my own paintings."

Joan Eardley - Head Of A Boy

"This painting somehow captures the image and essence of a young boy with bold strokes and very little detail. I am drawn to Joan Eardley’s work because of the energy and freedom contained in the brush strokes and use of colour. In both her paintings of people, and her landscapes, Eardley’s work is direct and bleakly honest."

Constantin Brâncuși - Bird In Space

"Even the title of this piece is somehow inspiring, and the sculpture itself soars cleanly upwards just as it suggests. Brancusi’s sculptures bear an honesty and directness which I find admirable, especially as they were so pioneering at the time. He didn’t believe in reproducing, or copying what he saw, but wanted to cut to the essence, or spirit of things."

Paul Cézanne - Mont Sainte Victoire

"Since I was very young I have wanted to paint landscapes like Cezanne. I love the way they are constructed out of pieces of colour, almost like collages. There is almost no need for any suggestion of three dimensions in these works because the shift between abstract and representation is so enigmatic and intriguing; the mountain in the background looming in a way which suggests its form, yet also doesn’t."

Robert Buhler - Wild Grass And Bushes

"I came across Robert Buhler’s work because I was taught very briefly by his son, Michael, when I was doing my foundation course before going to Chelsea. I love the freshness and delicacy of his work; his use of colour and design which often supersedes the detail that can encumber an image. This particular painting is not a conventional representation of a landscape, but the dabbed on flowers from the grasses contrasted with the delicate blue sky beyond somehow make the whole painting sing."

To find out more about Rosemary Burn, you can visit her website at rosemaryburnartist.com.