Julie Hill – biography and artist statement
A native Southern Californian, Julie Hill began her art career later in life. After several life changes, in 2004 she picked up a pencil and began drawing. Unbeknownst to her, she had been sitting on a creative gift. She then dared to pick up the elusive paintbrush and tentatively applied colors and water to white paper.
Pulled by the desire to capture nature’s beauty and precious relationship moments, the once elusive and timidness of watercolor paintings has turned into unabashed exploration of color and shapes; as she calls it “Capturing Life with Brushstrokes”.
Julie’s primarily self-taught approach to painting is considered to be unique. As she states, “For the most part, I work with black and white photos. I start out with a very detailed and accurate drawing, then I broadly start applying the washes of color ….always loose and outside the lines. Subsequent layers of color reveal shapes and some details. By using black and white photos as references, it insures that I remain unbiased to color choices, yet stay true to values and shapes”.
Julie’s award winning paintings are in many private collections across the nation and are exhibited in several local galleries. In addition, many of her works have been commissioned by interior designers and corporations. Julie is a member of the San Gabriel Fine Arts Association and the California Art Club.
“My paintings are a reflection of what I see, real or interpreted, the play of color and light…..and the feelings evoked. Enjoy!”
.
Julie Hill – watercolor gallery
.
“A Kiss Under the Eiffel Tower”. I am such a romantic….and any opportunity that I can capture human emotion, especially love, “I do”.
.
.
“Don’t You Look Cute in My Hat?” This was a whimsical piece inspired by a photo…the movement and the playfulness of the couple just intrigued me.
.
.
“Brotherly Love” I found a photo of two young boys walking the streets of Angola, Africa…..and just had to attempt to capture that interaction and the environment.
.
.
“Waiting on the Wives” This painting came from a trip my husband and I took with some dear friends to Tuscany, Italy a few years back. This scene was so common, that I had to capture it. A little town (this one was Pienza) with little shops, the wives shopping inside, and the husbands idlely waiting for them outside.
.
.
“Italian Stroll” This was another image from our trip to Tuscany. I never tire of painting Italian street scenes….the colors, the shadows, the architecture, the people, such a delight to play with.
.
.
“Did You Hear?” I have been doing small pieces and really enjoying capturing just the essence of the moment. I envision this one as two old friends running into each other and one has a bit of info to share.
.
.
“Let’s Walk” This was a fun quick piece to do, I instantly felt the two ladies huddled together in the weather…bearing it out.….choosing to walk rather than seek protection from the rain. I loved playing with the colors….and umbrellas are so much fun!
.
.
“Just Like Grandpa” This is one of my favorites…it’s a relatively small simple piece (12” x 9”) but reads so large and full. I imagine it’s the relate-ability and simple emotion evoked.
.
.
Click below to visit Julie Hill’s personal watercolor gallery website:
Life captured by brushstrokes – J Hill Paintings
.
{ 46 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh, what a talent to discover! Very nice art work. I love to hear that someone discovers something so great within themselves.
Can’t believe there is so much richness with these brush strokes. Every stroke and smudge is a genius, my favorite is “just like Grandpa” – its brilliant both in concept and in execution.
Benjii…thank you for the compliments. I wish I could take the credit for it…but it truely is a gift from God.
It doesn’t matter how late in your life you start following your dreams. I think that the most important think in life is to do what you really like. And these paintings are just wonderful. You should start painting those on a bigger scale.. make the paintings bigger.
Dear winetou and those above, thank you so much for your lovely comments. Winetou…your suggestion for making my paintings bigger is great…check out my website to see to actual sizes of these and others…some are large, some are small…thanks again for the comments.
It is always inspiring to read about someone who has found success and fulfillment later in life. That says hope to all of us, no matter how old we are. I really like these watercolors. I love how the colors blend and run. The umbrellas on “Did you hear?” are really nice. The communications and emotions and body language of the subjects are conveyed nicely.
I love the loose, watery and dream-like feel to your paintings! It does seem to help tell a story, and to draw the viewer into the painting. Wonderful use of color! I like the “bokeh” of the backgrounds–so soft and dreamy, with the sharper detailed work at the front, telling the story of the occasion. Very nice!
Dear Deb,
Thank you…I learned a new word today “bokeh” (I actually looked it up on Wikipedia!) ..never realizing there was an actual term for my approach. Cool!
It is satisfiying that a viewer can get a glimpse into the story that I am trying to convey, or at minimum, a glimmer of the of emotion.
-Julie
I think that your pictures are amazing. You are a very talented artist and I would love to see more of your work. The little boy following the older man is my favorite too!
To Mandy and everyone above…..thank you so much for taking the time in perusing a sampling of my work….. your comments and kind words are much appreciated.
-Julie
All of the art looked like it was painted at sunset or sunrise, with all the colors swirling around the center of the art. Very different. I normally don’t like abstract stuff to much (I’m a detail person) but I wouldn’t mind having one of these hanging in my house.
What a compliment!! Thanx Evoltage.
Hi there, they are just lovely colours that give mood to your paintings. you capture the essence in life. I think Just like Grandad is lovely. Thank you wonderful pictures.
Suzette
Nice work! My favorite is the cute hat. Almost has a 3D effect.
Thank God for Julie, the late bloomer. Really nice work for these “early” years!
I’m really impressed with the colors, textures, and overall feel of your work! It is beautiful. I love impressionistic works, and you put a lot of feeling into yours. The vivid colors really make an impression. Wonderful pieces. Thank you for sharing.
Dear Michael, Ed, and Doroteja,
Thank you for viewing my work and especially all for your kind words…what a wonderful way to start the day off!
I really loves your pictures as they are really wonderful. I never saw the beautiful one such your pictures, they are very impressive. It`s really great feel to see your colors.
Jour pictures are wonderful and impresive. My favorite is A Kiss Under Eiffel Tower
The color washes are amazing–lending a softness to the various pieces. There was much more emotion expressed than expected. This particular technique is very Impressionistic. Very nice!
“Just Like Grandpa” is a masterpiece.never knew that one could do such beautiful portraits with watercolor.the best part is every picture has a story of its own to tell…good work..thank you for the pictures..
Alenka, Debbie and fenin,
Thank you. It is always nice to hear what piece is a person’s favorite….and it is even more satifying to know that some actually feel the work, or “read” the story. I appreciate all your comments.
Interesting process, I enjoy the imagination of colors. Great work for a beginning artist! I hope to see more subject matter in the future beyond focus on pairs.
Dear Elizabeth,
Thank you for the compliments. I invite you to visit my website: http://www.jhillpaintings.com to see more of a sampling of my gallery (including landscapes, genre, florals, and cityscapes).
I am so glad that she decided to “put colors on white paper”. Every Brush strok is a joy to behold. My grandmother loved “Just Like Grandpa”. I see seeral that I would relish having for my very own. The colors are light and airy and the subjects are endearing.
I am totally impressed with your work. I can relate as I began my artwork late in life as well. I do not do watercolor, but I love your work more than any I have seen. The background is soft and airy with gorgeous colors, and the people are so real that I can connect with their stories. Your work is full of gentle love and soft color…It is easy to see that you are a very intuitive and sensitive artist. Keep up the good work.
Dear Marilyn and Andrea (above), I so appreciate the time you both took to examine and then write up your thoughts regarding my work. Your comments have touched me deeply. Thank you.
I love you loose watercolor style and your subject matter. However, I feel your strength is in the way you convey emotion. Especially how I could sense that you lean heavily towards and project the love side on the value scale of life. My favorite is “Just Like Grandpa”. Keep up the good work.
Ah…Ms. Rose Sinatra…thank you for your critique, much appreciated.
it is really a treat for my eyes. painting cannot be done by all. this tallent is given by god. you are really blessed by god. it creates sympathy and emotion in my heart. keep it up.
I can see the emotions of the people in the paintings. I love the stories the paintings are telling. It holds ones attention
I love your work, how some simply storkes with color become a picture. Something one could admire over and over again. Talent is something you have lots of. Keep Painting
Very beautiful and unique paintings. An interesting blend of the abstract world and the real world. Never seen anything like this. The use of color is absolutely breath-taking.
Unfortunately I lack the education to be very well-versed in artistic methodology. But the vivid use of color in these really screams out to me; I immediately thought ‘Wow, one of these would look awesome on my wall.’ The ‘colder’ colors of purple and blue and gray somehow seem warm in their reminiscence of twilight, and what you did with the shadows… particularly in the last painting… gives me flashbacks to Serial Experiments Lain and its symbolism through subtle offhand imagery.
Dear Stephen, and those commenting above, including Holly, Jeanette, Kris, and prasath: Your comments are taken deeply. It brings great pleasure learning that others can see (and perhaps feel) what I was trying to convey through my simple expression of a singular moment in time. Thank you for your time in conveying your thoughts.
Your work is beautiful. Very unique approach to water color and your command of shadow and light creates a feeling of movement that I usually don’t experience when viewing a painting. I am very drawn to “Did You Hear” with the swirling wind and rain surrounding the two men. Your choice of colors is wonderful.
Wow! What a beautiful art work. i realy like this art. especially ” Just Like Grandpa” Its realy nice to see. The way of walking is good. And the watercolor is realy super. i like all art work. very happy to see this art. keep it up
I like artist. The above all paintings are so good. Generally artist have good creativity mind. And you also have that. your paintings impress me so much. thanks
So sweet to capture slices of life. Love husbands waiting!!! Lovely colors to capture the atmosphere of the scene1
I am partial to watercolor. It is my favorite! What I particularly enjoy about these is Julie’s very bold use of color. These pictures are a total delight!
I think she is very talented. They look like rainbows. They are very romantic pictures of art.
To all those above including Angel– thank you very much for all your “feedback”; it has been a delight to read your words and hear your take on my attempts to capture life’s precious moments with simple brushstrokes, some color and a bit of water.
-Julie
julie you are amazing… especially the picture “kiss” is remarkable. I didn’t know water colors could be that magical. The idea plus required expertise make it a lethal combination. Especially when you are more sensitive then the normal people. Its all magic I say you do……
keep it up …
I truly love the way you turn a image into a dream, when experiencing your art, I feel a nostalgia for things that never existed, a wish for things that have gone by.
I have never seen such unique paintings like these. “Just like grandpa” reminds me of my childhood, and recalls my childish memories. and “The kiss under the Eiffel tower” is so romantic. Thank you, Julie, that you bring to the world such masterpieces!
Your paintings are absolutely amazing. They remind me a little of Monet, sort of impressionistic. I love the jewel tone colors and the subject matter of people doing ordinary things.