Artist's Statement

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Julia paints life-affirming, dreamlike landscapes. They have a lush, organic, yet liminal quality. The many layers of natural and abstracted forms reflect the mystery of the subconscious world. The sensuous patterns and floating shapes mirror the complexity of relationships, and indeed, life itself.

Her paintings are microcosms of the universe, a jungle of watery vegetation and organic growth beneath the surface. Julia‘s work has water as its central theme, ways of getting in and out, being submerged and disconnected from the stresses and constraints of the land based world. She loves to swim.

She joined a landscape oil painting class with Cyril Coetzee in Johannesburg, and sold her first painting in 2006, before moving to Edinburgh, via Malta, in 2007. At Edinburgh College of Art (now Edinburgh University) she had the fantastic opportunity to study and improve her skills. This decisively helped launch her artistic career.

Julia lived in Aberdeenshire on the River Dee and then in Stonehaven, over a period of 6 years before moving back to Edinburgh where she has a studio gallery and hosts art events. Her studio is also open by appointment through out the year.

Julia is an experienced event manager and performed professionally in South Africa as a jazz singer for many years. Artists who inspire her are, among others, Patrick Heron, Albert Irvin, William Scott, Joan Mitchell, Gillian Ayres, Riera i Aragó, Etel Adnan, Yayoi Kusama, Lennox Dunbar, Frank Bowling and Matisse.