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Hello art friends! Where I live, in New England, it is now starting to get a bit cooler and the leaves are starting to float down from the sky. September and October are transition months for me as school is starting for the little ones and we are all returning from Maine where we spend part of the summer. Up in Maine, I see my family and extended family (which is large and wonderful) and relax (sort of?! Hard to tell with small children) and try to find new inspiration for pieces. The woods and the people and the slowness of life up there is critical for my well-being. It’s also the only vacation I have been able to take for several years. I sometimes live in awe (envy?) of my friends who travel to Europe or South America, say, and take in so many lovely landscapes and cities and cultures while I stay home and paint and mother two little ones. But it does make me think about travel and art. Art can serve as a way for us to take a vacation without actually going anywhere. When we create or look at a painting of natural landscapes, the painting itself has the power to transport us, to pull us away from our homes or offices or waiting rooms and place us in a snowy birch forest, or field of flowers or on a river or the ocean in the early morning or late evening. We can enter that landscape, allowing our senses to see, smell, hear, taste and feel another world, even if just for a moment. When seen through this lens, art is less of a material possession and more of an experience. Decades of psychological research suggest that experiences, such as vacations or concerts, bring people far greater happiness than material goods like new shoes or jewelry. Purchasing experiences (when compared to material goods) has even been shown to make people more generous toward others, improve social behavior, and have a long-term residual impact on one’s happiness. In a world defined by fast fashion and an unwavering desire for more stuff, it would serve us well to explore whether our consumption of things is making us any happier. Given high rates of depression and anxiety in the US and around the world, I think the answer is likely ‘no’. That’s where art plays an interesting role. We tend to see it as a physical good, a tangible item that we come to possess. But art is also an experience. Every time you sit with a piece that speaks to you, it has the power to evoke a whole range of feelings that would come with actually being in that place. As an artist, I try to create these beautiful moments for people, to allow them to bring a little ‘vacation’ into their daily lives and experience the happiness that comes along with it. I hope some of my pieces can resonate with you in such a way at some point along the journey! Wishing all of you a lovely Fall. Julia A Collection of Recent WorksSee a painting you love? Click on the 'contact' links below to email Julia an inquiry on the piece. There are prints available for some of these paintings as well, and if you are particularly interested in a print that doesn't exist yet, Julia may be able to make one for you. Prices range from $800 to $3,500 (I also offer payment plans for pieces!)
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