We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Julia Lawing. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Julia below.
Hi Julia, thanks for joining us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?
I am extremely fulfilled as an artist! It means getting to do what I love, on my own terms. That’s not to say it’s easy, by any means. But way more fulfilling than a traditional job. After graduating from college (UNC at Chapel Hill) with a degree in journalism, I worked in “cubicle” jobs at a newspaper (The Charlotte Observer) for seven years, so I can honestly say I know what it feels like.
Julia, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
People always seemed to identify me as an artist, even during seasons of my life when I wasn’t really producing much art. I have always loved drawing and took several college courses, which is where I found a love for figure drawing and art history. After graduation, I tried many other mediums through community college night classes, including stained glass, ceramics, watercolor. But I didn’t explore oil painting until I was 45. I had taught elementary art for a couple of years at my daughters’ school and volunteered at our local arts council. And I found that the more I taught about art history and looked at others’ work, the more I wanted to create my own art. So, I began searching for the right place to start, enrolled in oil painting fundamentals, and I knew I had tapped into something I was meant to pursue.
I was born in Atlanta but we moved to the Georgia coast (St Simons Island) when I was 12. My mom worked full time, so my only transportation until I turned 16 was my bike. Being outside on eye level with the constantly changing tide, marshes, and beach gave me a deep love for the coastal wetlands, so that’s been a huge muse for me. But more recently I am being drawn to more intimate scenes, like private interiors and our family vacation settings; as a mother of four young ladies, I don’t have to look very far for inspiration.
I am constantly taking photos, especially when I travel. These are fodder for my sketches and paintings.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is it never gets old. There is always a new muse to follow, another view to explore, an untried subject. Painting itself is a series of problem solving; what value/color/mark to make here, and how will it affect what I’ve already done there? It’s constantly challenging. And it never has to end; growth as an artist can be infinite, or at least as long as we choose to explore in this lifetime. And I don’t ever plan to stop.
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
I wish I had found a good teacher/taken a basic oil painting class earlier in my life, but on the other hand, perhaps it’s for the best. I was solely focused on raising my four daughters and doing creative activities with them until they were all well into school, and for that, I have no regrets. Like the proverb says, “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” I believe my life experiences cumulatively feed into the art I am now creating.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.julialawing.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julialawingart/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julialawingfineart/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julialawing
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWB4uCoxVCxmxp6OmNo-xyi-ieKqWsGHW
- Other: https://www.artworkarchive.com/profile/julia-chandler-lawing
Image Credits
All artwork photos by Julia Lawing. Photo of Julia on steps of white building is by Parker Alexander. Photo of Julia in green dress in marsh is by Candace Hires. Photo of Julia in her studio is by Melissa Key.