Artist Statement

Julie lives in Bozeman, Montana. She creates abstract paintings through the use of oil and cold wax medium. The cold wax medium allow a manipulation of the surface texture through layering, scraping and mark making. Texture and the color palette become deeply personal in story telling on a 2-dimensional surface.

Her work includes painting (oil/cold wax, acrylic) and ink work through mixed media and collages. She works intuitively to explore relationships, process the external world, abstracted landscapes and abstraction through color and line work. She agrees with the abstract expressionist Elaine de Kooning when she said that the duty of the artist was to “unleash a state of mind”.

Abstract art has become a vehicle of expression. Finding her voice has been a crucial part of the journey. It’s a way to tell a story and connect to the audience through a limited medium using color, texture, contrast and shapes.

Bio

Julie grew up in Colorado, Alaska and Montana. Currently, living in Bozeman, Montana, with her husband and two Devon Rex cats Loki and Remy.

Art has been an integral part of her life from a young age. At 15, a wood block print was selected in a Colorado state wide competition and shown in Denver. While relocating to Alaska meant that art was no longer a primary locus, Julie continued to use drawing and collage as important outlets for her creativity and self-expression.

Her love of oil painting started in 2009 with many teachers along the way. Susan Blackwood and Howard Friedland were instrumental to understanding different genres such as plein air painting, landscapes, portraiture and life drawing plus exposure to visual techniques.

In 2021 her focus turned to abstracted landscape painting using oil and cold wax through Mark Russell’s instruction and tutelage. At the end of 2021, she joined The Cold Wax Academy online which was started during the pandemic in 2020. The academy allowed Julie to study extensively online and in person with the oil/cold wax pioneers Rebecca Crowell and Jerry McLaughlin.

From this exposure came the love of abstract art and the medium of oil/cold wax has become a way to create interesting textures, layering, scraping back and mark making using varied and creative tools. Each painting becomes an exploration in color, composition and contract in various forms.