Phyllis H. Burns, a native of Chatham County, North Carolina, grew up on the small self-sufficient farms of her grandparents.  She was exposed to nature in ways few people see today.  Her love for animals and plants influenced her art and her desire to show the public the beauty of what we take for granted.

The old white farmhouse that has been in the Burns family for generations is where she and her husband raised their three children.  Phyllis was educated as a veterinary technician and spent her early years as a housewife and mother.  Later she worked as an apprentice at Stone Crow Pottery.  Her interest in painting, always in the background, finally surfaced.  She left her job as a potter; began studying on her own and taking workshops.

Phyllis H. Burns became a Signature Member of Watercolor Society of North Carolina (WSNC) in 2015.

Phyllis Burns died at home with her family on March 19, 2019 after a 15 year battle of cancer.