I’m delighted to introduce you to artist Julie Greig this month. Having her as a visitor together with her stunning evocative landscapes is very good as she’s primarily based in New Zealand the place I used to be instructing a few weeks in the past. I’ve been a fan of Julie Greig’s work for years! Have a learn of what I stated about certainly one of her pastel work in certainly one of my month-to-month roundups.
Don’t know Julie’s work? Right here’s a taster!
Earlier than I hand you over to artist Julie Greig, right here’s a wee bit about her.
Julie Greig – Bio
Julie Greig is an award-winning, Grasp Pastelist dwelling within the huge and gorgeous Māniatoto, Central Otago, New Zealand. She has been portray in pastel for many of her life, creating a light-weight ethereal contact with element and scumbling permitting the floor color to come back via. Her topics are acquainted to her, diversified, and sometimes revisited. View extra on her web site.
Now right here’s Julie!!
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My earliest reminiscence of drawing is with yellow chalk in hand, on the hallway wallpaper. My pricey mom caught me within the act, and I promptly swallowed the chalk which had attention-grabbing repercussions. We had been dwelling on the base of Mt Ruapehu with bush, forest and rivers close by. One other reminiscence: An artist buddy would go to our home to color within the spare room which had an open hearth, with me mendacity on the ground alongside, portray together with her watercolours.
I drew quite a bit as a toddler, primarily horses, as a result of, like many women, I actually actually wished one! By the point I used to be eight, and nonetheless horse-less, my father purchased me Walter T. Foster’s e book ‘The right way to Draw Horses,’ willow charcoal, white Conté chalk, a kneadable eraser, and gray laid paper, plus an enormous sketchbook. The scene was set. I trawled that e book from one finish to the opposite, practising again and again. I wore it out.
Dad introduced residence extra artwork supplies till lastly bringing residence a set of Rembrandt delicate pastels. Wanting again, he may have purchased watercolours or acrylics, and I may have let these treasures collect mud. A reminiscence: We had a black and white TV; one program allowed a day for me – and no social media. There gave the impression to be extra time in these days.
At Intermediate College, our artwork instructor was French and impressed the category to attempt every kind of mediums. My father drove me to her residence after college, as soon as every week, and sitting at her kitchen desk, I’d draw cubes, prisms, spheres, and so on, studying shading and studying to essentially see. Dad waited exterior within the automobile – I’d say that’s love in motion. I do know he can be so pleased with the place these early classes and his type, thought of items of artwork supplies have taken me.
One night, my Intermediate College Kind Trainer arrived at our residence with a set of oil paints, a e book on oil portray, brushes, and a picket palette, apologising that he couldn’t discover any Cadmium Crimson.
Wanting again with gratitude, I’ve had the good thing about a lot encouragement and curiosity from the adults in my life, in addition to high quality artwork supplies.
I had my first solo exhibition on the Intermediate College, an assortment of the artworks I had created at residence and faculty – oils, drawings, pen and ink, pastel work, black and white minimize out paper, and a few fairly thick watercolours.
At Excessive College, I carried on with pastels, once more with a superb artwork instructor. I turned adept at portray canine and commenced portray them on fee. I remorse not going to artwork college following highschool. The College of Life and necessity for an revenue was my approach ahead so my early profession started with accountancy work, then banking, whereas I practised portray in my spare time. I started to color portraits, seascapes, and a few landscapes, but it surely wasn’t till about 25 years in the past that I turned entranced by the vista of land, bushes, and mountains, by how mild and time of day impacts all the things, by the thriller of low mild, by grasses and tussock flowing and gleaming within the wind, and nonetheless waters in swimming pools, and by how magical shadows can construct a portray.
Since transferring to the South Island of New Zealand – firstly in Burkes Cross, Mackenzie Nation, now dwelling in rural Māniatoto, Central Otago in a 137-year-old mudbrick homestead – I see inspiration in every single place. Surrounded by the arid hills and mountains, with their deep blue-violet valleys, random schist tors, the huge blue skies or turbulent clouds, the lengthy golden evenings and misty mornings, historic stone, mud-brick, or schist cottages enduring, I’m so spoilt for selection that I don’t paint so many horses now! The country previous homestead has two lounges – one is now my studio with views of the bushes, hills, and our flock of Gotland sheep.
Recording the moments which seize my consideration has introduced me to study extra about pictures and composition. The digital age means we are able to make photos quickly then edit again to what’s greatest to work from.
I continuously use the Fibonacci Spiral and/or the Golden Imply when balancing or designing a portray. I imagine good composition is crucial in any artwork type, like constructing a home with a superb plan. I don’t prefer to slavishly copy images – once I was youthful, discovering my approach as an artist – I did. Now I’m going past the {photograph}, trying so as to add emotion or the sensation of being there, suggesting particulars with out portray each leaf or department.
I allude to element in lots of areas of my work, whereas the main focus areas – the place I would like the viewer to be drawn in – shall be in additional element.
I generally paint outside, not usually sufficient, however once I do, I additionally make research of the view in case I resolve to create a studio portray later. Years on, these photos nonetheless have benefit, particularly the place a constructing is included which can ultimately crumble or be demolished. Portray historical past pursuits me – handmade gates, farm tools, fences, automobiles and so on. The gold mining period was large on this space and previous tools lies deserted, rusting.
I usually make a sketch of the deliberate portray, then a small color research earlier than deciding the scale of the completed piece and what tone of underpainting it’d want. Different occasions I rush in, caught within the grip of the Muse, generally she’s affected person, generally not. I believe the work the place I rush in have a particular magic, like a spark to a flame. The extra deliberate work go properly too, as they iron out any points alongside the way in which. The ebb and movement of creativity.
For my portray surfaces or assist, I put together archival matboard with pastel primer, shopping for the massive 60 x 40” sheets, priming with white Artwork Spectrum Colourfix, getting ready a number of sheets at a time so I at all times have one thing able to go. I even have a inventory of sheets of assorted favorite Artwork Spectrum Colourfix tones – Comfortable Umber, Elephant, Rose Gray, Contemporary Gray and Black. I’ve tried Pastelmat just lately, it’s a bit easy for my approach of working however I do get pleasure from how layers look clear and it doesn’t rip a lot pigment off a pastel stick.
I exploit fixative as a medium generally, to settle and darken areas earlier than including extra layers. I by no means use fixative when the portray is full, preferring to put a canopy sheet over the art work and gently however firmly roll over with a brayer, compressing the pigment into the textured floor.
My husband builds the frames which we purchase as ‘chops’ minimize to dimension, and I end the framing. We use Tru Vue UV70 Anti-reflective glass. We stay a great distance from image framers, so this has change into a vital ability.
I educate common delicate pastel workshops in Ranfurly, a small rural city close by, which has the proper venue within the Māniatoto Arts Centre. I now not journey to show as it’s pricey to me in time and power, preferring to color in my studio most days, and generally working workshops.
For a few years I illustrated childrens’ books and novel covers. Alongside the way in which I designed and created the art work for 2 postage stamp editions with First Day covers. Presently I’m working to assist full a long-term venture involving 32 stained glass window designs the place I additionally paint particulars onto the glass, which is fired earlier than the window is assembled. These illustrate the historical past of Whanganui, a good looking river metropolis within the North Island of New Zealand.
My portray heroes are Andrew Wyeth, Richard Schmid, and Sir Grahame Sydney. Happily, Sir Grahame lives within the space and has welcomed my visits the place I can discuss portray with him while absorbing his assortment of excellent egg tempera or oil work.
I’m on the committee of our native Arts Council, and proudly a Lifetime Member of and Grasp Pastellist with the Pastel Artists of New Zealand (PANZ). I’m additionally a Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America (PSA) and have a Diploma of Artwork & Creativity (Honours).
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Lovely huh?! I like that Julie focuses on portray the panorama round her and lots of occasions over! Every iteration reveals a distinct temper, a distinct season, a distinct time of day.
We’d love to listen to your ideas and questions so please share them within the feedback!!
Till subsequent time,
~ Gail