We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Julia Dordoni. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Julia below.
Alright, Julia thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
My mission is to encourage others to follow their dreams. No matter how outlandish the dream may seem, there is only one way to do it – and that’s to imagine it, and then put all you have into making it a reality. One step at a time, one goal at a time, with plenty of patience. When I discovered that art is my true passion, I dove into it head first. It took trial and error and about a decade of effort to get it to the streamlined process that it is now, but it was worth it.
Even as a 24/7 single mom with a brand new baby, I was determined to follow my dream career as an independent artist.
I began painting on the streets, and in public locations where I would gain visibility. I painted the local highlights and brought my imagery to local merchants. I took my paints with me on vacations while exploring new landscapes to see where I wanted to raise my daughter. One day a couple walked out in front of my easel and I painted them into the picture. After that, I knew painting weddings was my destiny. Following the guidance of my dear friend and artist mentor Jim Freeheart (www.JimFreeheart.com) and through the law of attraction, I manifested a full-time career as a self-employed wedding painter. I wouldn’t trade this job for anything. I am finally living my dream career! As a single mom, I have never had financial help from anyone. It took holding true to my vision with strong determination to see through the long days. I am a living example of how someone can go from bare bones to a solid career. I want everyone who reads this to know that they are also capable of doing the same. Everyone has their own passion. One just needs to realize what they love to do, and then have the courage to prioritize doing it as skillfully as possible. Set short-term goals that are attainable, which build to a bigger, long-term goal. Keep the vision strong through the struggles. Have courage. Don’t give up. Dream big! Make this life the best life you can imagine. Your career can be your passion. You can get paid to do what you love. There is only one way to start, and that’s to start now. The first step is to imagine it already happening. Hold onto that vision. One step at a time, you’ll get there. I believe in you.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a creative person at heart, who constantly imagines how I can make the world a more beautiful place with my art. I started off as an art teacher, and absolutely loved teaching. Since I didn’t believe I knew how to paint, I taught mainly sculpture classes for middle and high school. One day, I wanted to build up my painting portfolio so I went out into the public to paint a scene of Pearl Street in Boulder, Colorado. On that very day, my painting sold off the easel! Even as an amateur artist with only one painting class under my belt, I instantly became a full-time artist. People said they loved my art because my “colors look happy”. From the first day painting in public, I had a list of commissions in front of me. With each new painting, I learned a little more than the last, and would gain more commissions. A few years into my career as a full-time plein-air painter, I was on vacation in Hawaii, and randomly painted a bride and groom into one of my paintings as they got married. I brought the painting to the nearest resort (The Four Seasons on Maui) to show the manager, and within one week I had an invitation to be represented by their wedding department as their featured wedding painter!! As a brand new single mom, I packed my few belongings, and my newborn, and moved to Hawaii. I spent many years learning tips on how to successfully run a business and how to paint more skillfully under the guidance of my friend and artist mentor Jim Freeheart. (www.JimFreeheart.com) After a few years on the island, I missed the Colorado mountains, so my daughter and I moved back. My career as a live wedding painter has been going full steam. I make about 50 paintings each year – mostly newlyweds. I also do pet portraits, landscapes and abstracts. I wouldn’t trade my job for anything, and I am eternally grateful for this niche I have fallen upon. It is nice to see that the trend of wedding painting is taking place these days! I am set apart from others in my industry through my unique style and level of experience. I’ve been a full-time artist for 17 years now, and I could not imagine a better-suited job for myself.
One thing I would like my clients and followers to know is that I stand behind my work with integrity. I provide the best possible experience and product that I am capable of, and I will go above and beyond to make sure that my clients are happy. I take pride in my work, and I enjoy communicating before and after the process to be sure that I have met their expectations. I also want everyone to know that although I am doing the best that I can, I truly am humble, and am willing to hear feedback about how I can improve my services. I am self-taught with everything that I do- whether it be learning how to post something on Instagram, or how to paint clouds, and I will always strive to be better than I was the day before.
It is my honor to participate at weddings, and to dedicate endless hours in the studio perfecting a masterpiece. I am living my dream, through my heart, through the light of God, and there is nothing I would rather do with the short time on this earth than to make this world a more beautiful, loving place. I happen to have a gift with art, and I would like to encourage each and every individual to explore their own unique, natural gift, that makes their heart shine
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
I demonstrated resilience when I pursued my career as an artist after receiving full custody of my 6-month-old baby, with almost no money in the bank. I situated my baby in a pack-n-play beside my easel while I painted landscapes, in hopes that onlookers would take interest in my paintings. I made this a daily routine, as selling paintings was my only source of income. I received no financial help from anyone, and lived on the other side of the country from my own family. With one painting at a time, I paved our path. I was determined to live my dream as an artist, and to show my daughter what it means to have determination.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
A lesson I had to unlearn is that not everyone lives in integrity! In the early days of my career, I painted a custom portrait, and shipped it to the client before receiving payment. The client ghosted me and never sent me the payment. Another time, I sent a patron 5 paintings, expecting them to pay for the art after it had been delivered, but again, I was ghosted and unpaid for the paintings and shipping fees. These experiences taught me to be paid upfront for commissioned work, as well as shipping. In 2020, I got Covid during the busiest week of wedding season, and had to cancel 4 weddings. Fortunately, 2 of the brides allowed me to paint studio paintings from photo, but the other 2 brides insisted on a refund. Due to getting Covid, I had to pay out $4,000 back to brides in one week, and this was a very unexpected financial hit, as you can imagine.
This taught me to include and terms of the agreement on the invoice: “If unforeseen injury or illness disables me from attending a wedding, I will complimentary upsize the canvas and paint from photo reference to create your masterpiece in the studio.”
This allows me to have financial stability in the event of a crisis, and clients understand the terms before committing.
It takes learning from real-life experiences to polish a business, and I am constantly learning how to make my business a win-win for everyone. This was an odd way to end an article, and I would like to leave it of on a positive note. Take a moment to absorb this: We all have our own gift. This is a short time on earth, and we owe it to ourselves and to the world to shine our best light. We all have to look within, to realize what it is that makes our heart sing. We have to be brave enough to take that leap and be determined enough to stay the course when challenges arise. It is worth it, because there could be no better option than to live our dreams.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.JuliaLiveArt.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coloradoweddingpainter/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julialiveart/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-lynn-dordoni-4547b160/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/juliadordoni
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@coloradoweddingpainterjuli7750
- Yelp: Colorado Wedding Painter or https://www.yelp.com/biz/colorado-wedding-painter-estes-park