Artist Statement:
Julie Nalley-Jewell a native of Iowa started painting at the age of 13 following in the footsteps of her grandmother also a painter. She remembers as a child her grandmother sketching on paper and drawing her little pictures. This affection for painting led her to paint at a young age and study art at the college level.
She says “with so much going on during my day it is nice to take time to gather my thoughts, express my emotions and have fun. Painting allows me to do this and looking at the finished work with all the colors, waves, and splashes engages that calming feeling.” She feels it quiets the mind, heals her body and allows her inner mind to speak.
She states she fell in love with water, nature and blending of colors early on, growing up on Lake MacBride in Iowa. Water is also her latest inspiration. She enjoys the way a wave hits rocks, the sun shines off the surface, and the refection of the trees. She finds water very magical.
Julie advises her latest works are like many before it, full of color mixing into one another, layers on top of each other and a desire to mystify the viewer. She states, “I think looking at the way the colors blend, the way water and paint mix, and even what colors lie beneath are intriguing. I like to let the paint and water do the work, mixing, intermingling and laying on top of each other. As nature creates beauty on the surface of water I put this onto canvas, capturing it for eternity.”