Julia Chandler Lawing
Concord, NC
Believer • beauty chaser • visual psalmist • contemporary oil painter • lifelong artist • Georgia native • longtime North Carolinian
MessageNorth Carolina artist Julia Chandler Lawing synchronizes color and brushstroke to capture the essence of a moment and evoke emotion. Her oil paintings have been called “extravagantly beautiful, spiritual and inspiring.”
Born in Atlanta, Julia moved to St. Simons Island, Georgia, at age 12. The experience of growing up in the Golden Isles instilled a deep appreciation for nature, light and the wetland landscape.
Julia earned a BA in journalism at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a concentration in drawing and art history. While employed at Savannah College of Art and Design, and later the Charlotte Observer, Julia continued her creative exploration through night classes in everything from stained glass and woodworking to ceramics and pastels. As a young mother, Julia taught elementary art and docented at the Cabarrus Arts Council. Soon afterwards, Julia began oil painting and knew she had found her calling.
Julia’s pieces are held in private and corporate collections across the US including Towne Bank and Georgia State University’s College of Law. Her paintings have been reproduced on billboards, window clings, and sheet metal in the greater Charlotte area.
Julia lives in Concord, NC, with her husband and four daughters. She creates in her studio at ClearWater Arts Center in downtown Concord. Visitors welcome by appointment.
Statement
My art is as much about the interplay of paint and surface as the subject itself. Using a thick application, the energy of my brushstroke and my connection to the subject is recorded in the paint. I use the palette knife and other tools to subtract as well as add paint, building the painting in layers. I strive to say more with less, capturing the essence of a moment and evoking emotion.
My subjects come from my life; I am inspired by the beauty of the landscape, light falling on a structure, figures at play or rest. My own photos are the starting point for what I think of as visual psalms. Usually a specific memory or sense of place is what resonates with me, but occasionally an unusual palette, heightened surface or selective description becomes my main objective. I am also enticed by the tension of chaos versus order.
I paint because it engages my senses, my mind, my soul, and stirs a passion in me unlike anything else. My art exploration parallels my faith: there’s no end to the journey, but the reward is a wellspring of revelation that helps me know myself, the world, and God more fully.
All art copyright protected and sole property of Julia Lawing and may not be reproduced without written permission from the artist
© Julia Lawing 2024
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