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Little did I know that, as a child fascinated by the comics and cowboy heroes of the fifties, I was laying a foundation for later art work with my stories and illustrations. Based on Lone Ranger's horse Silver, these adventures allowed me to early on find inspiration in popular culture. I blended the ready-made images with my rural New England woods exploration to develop a creative form that lasted from 3rd grade to high school. It gave me an intuitive understanding of equine gesture and character which informs my current horses, saving them from the limitations of realism.
The years between high school and the rediscovery of my past were filled with education, teaching, family, and pottery, not necessarily in that order. Washington University in St. Louis (BFA), the Chicago Art Institute (MFA), and the University of Iowa (Teacher Certification Program) were all very influential in my education. As my focus shifts from teaching to producing art work, I choose to continue teaching young children part time, for their fresh uncluttered outlook on life, as well as my dedication to helping foster creative education. I joined the Omaha ClayWorks in 2005 and found a terrific studio for continued artistic growth.
My current series of horses springs from my process-oriented approach to clay. My pottery background is present, even as I alter wheel-thrown vessels to find the creature living within the clay. Once the parts are thrown, I assemble the sculptures spontaneously, with a confidence born of experience. Throwing rings from the wheel provide a context onto which I layer texture, colorful underglazes, and mixed media. The horses' playful attitudes and sense of family groupings echo my fundamentally positive attitude towards life. I enjoy treading a fine line between a simplified character and a caricature, humor and strangeness, love and sentimentalism.
I frequently look at Picasso's line drawings, Franz Marc's horses, Native American fetishes and storyteller dolls, pottery by Tom Turner and Betty Woodman, horse sculptures by Deborah Butterfield. Colorado rounded rocks, Goodwill stores, rusted things, rearranged nature by Andy Goldsworthy and Billy Collins' poetry.
Artist Bio
MEDIUM: Ceramics/Potter, Mixed Media
Julie's love of horses began in a childhood full of play and time, to explore her Massachusetts home and woods. The cowboy craze of the 1950's fueled her imagination, as she created artworks and adventures inspired by Lone Ranger's horse, Silver. This creative foundation provides Julie with the intuitive understanding of gesture and equine character she seeks in her ceramic horses.
The intervening years were filled with teaching art, raising a family, and developing pottery skills. Formal education: BFA Art Education at Washington University in St. Louis, MFA Ceramics at the Chicago Art Institute, and Teacher Certification Program from the University of Iowa. As her focus shifts from teaching to producing her own work, she chooses to continue teaching young children part-time. Their energy and uncluttered vision are valuable resources.
The current series of horse trees springs from Julie's process-oriented approach to clay. Her pottery background is present, even as she alters wheel-thrown vessels, letting her inner vision see new forms within the clay. Once the parts are thrown and have dried slightly, she assembles sculptures spontaneously, with a confidence born of experience. Throwing rings from the wheel provides a context onto which she layers texture, colorful under glazes, and mixed media. The horses' playful attitudes and sense of family groupings echo her fundamentally positive attitude towards life. She treads a fine line between a simplified character and a caricature, humor and strangeness, love and sentimentalism.
Hopi and Zuni fetishes and storyteller dolls are inspirations, as well as Picasso, Franz Marc, Robert Turner, Robert Arneson, Peter Voulkos, and Deborah Butterfield.
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