Hi there! I’m Julia, an artist based in Austin, TX.
An artist for over 10 years, it wasn’t until I began working out of a studio space during the pandemic that I decided I wanted to document the structures and scenes of our world that are often forgotten - aka, landscapes.
I love the bohemian and boho, the eclectic and eccentric, the dusty and dirty – and my art is a celebration of these sometimes forgotten places. Every subject matter or scene is chosen based on a connection to the people who were there before us and created the things we see today. I am drawn to stories and scenes that don’t ask for attention but are rather there waiting for us to discover them, like a quiet moment, or something on the side of a road.
I love a well-decorated space that contains art, and believe art can make us better and inspire us by being around it in our homes.
Originally from Minnesota, I relocated to Austin, Texas for sunnier weather, but I haven’t given up my love of white Christmases (or my accent) – just yet.
A little about the creative process, and oil painting
To create my paintings, I use canvas and oil paints. I started painting with oil paints in high school and never looked back. Oil painting is one of the oldest forms of painting out there, and when I oil paint - I am constantly reminded that I am part of a tradition that spans hundreds of years. How cool is that?!
I love how soft oil paints are when they slide across canvas, they are truly like butter. The thicker the paint the better. I also enjoy mixing colors - in the oil painting world, you mix colors using a palette knife because the paint is too thick to be mixed with bristles.
I also have an affinity for frames, and match or build custom frames for many of my pieces. For me, a proper pairing of a painting with its frame (or lack thereof which is also great) can really set the tone of a piece.
To begin my process, I typically start working from a photograph but imagine my own colors, shadows and layers. Sometimes it’s fun to go back and look at my photographs to compare - its never quite what I expect!