Julie Devine
Seattle, WA
Julie is a Seattle artist who paints from the landscape, combining gestural brushwork and knifework into a distinctive, semi-abstract style.
MessageJulie Devine is a contemporary American painter. She was born and raised in California and moved to Washington state in 1991. Her work explores the wild visual beauty of Western North America.
Julie paints from the landscape, combining gestural brushwork and knifework into a distinctive, semi-abstract style. Her art communicates a spirited appreciation for the outdoors and for the tradition of painting, in particular the impressionist, post-impressionist, and abstract expressionist styles.
Her paintings live in international private collections and have been exhibited in the Pacific Northwest, New York, New Mexico, and Italy. Seattle’s Group Health Hospital has acquired several pieces of her work for their permanent collection.
Statement
My work is about spiritual experience in the landscape - those moments when the soul merges with the sky, the land, and light.
Imagine making art outdoors - setting up an easel; arranging a palette of oil paint; laying out brushes, knives, and towels; and securing all of these against the wind. And as you paint, the sun moves across the sky, changing the light it casts, while pieces of dirt, grass, flowers, feathers, and fur fly into your work. The painting is partly your own, but partly crafted by the elements. You are deep in it, and your work is infused with your surroundings.
Painting outdoors has changed the way I paint. I have learned to favor palette knives for their speed and immediacy. Outside, among the changing conditions, I paint more quickly, confidently, and with thicker paint. The colors come more intuitively and I make more of a mess.
When working in my studio, I try to bring this experience of plein air painting to my work. Color, light, and a feeling of air and movement are important to me. I enjoy painting a variety of landscapes, from ethereal light-inspired tree canopies, to blousy meadows, to rough mountain terrain. Recently, I have been painting wolves and winter animals as well as austere, rocky landscapes, and wildfires.
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