Julie Dowling draws on the traditions of European portraiture and Christian icons, mural painting and Badimaya First Nation iconography in her highly political paintings. She completed a Diploma of Fine Art at Claremont School of Art in 1989, a Bachelor of Fine Arts at Curtin University in 1992, an Associate Diploma in Visual Arts Management at Perth Metropolitan TAFE in 1995, before being awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Literature (Honoris Causa) from Murdoch University 2002.

"Old Girl" is one of an ongoing series of paintings by the artist that both celebrates and bares witness to the ‘stolen generation’ of Indigenous Australians. The artist states, “This picture shows a typical ‘Old Girl’. This term is used to describe with affection, a woman of senior years within our community. It implies that she still retains a strong, mischievous, childlike humour while still remaining a force in her family.”