Posted by Curry S. on Jan 24th 2020
Featured Artist: Julie Beck
Artist, oil painter and dog lover Julie Beck is our featured artist for the month of August! When you see how perfectly technical Julie’s artwork is, it isn’t such a big surprise she has a background in math and engineering.
Name: Julie Beck
Location: Boston, MA
IG: @juliebcreative
Website: juliebcreative.com
Favorite Product at A&C: Panels
Born and raised in Western New York, Julie Beck made the move to Massachusetts in 2011 after attending school in Rhode Island. In 2016, Julie graduated from the Academy of Realist Art Boston (a small private atelier art school located in Boston’s historic Leather District) where she is now an instructor and the Assistant Director. Julie currently works out of her personal studio at ARA Boston, where she is developing a body of work that explores the concepts of nostalgia, relationships, mortality, and identity. She has a wide range of painting subjects including still life paintings and animal/figurative works.
Julie's studio in Boston, MA
Artist & Craftsman Supply: Who are you and what do you do?
Julie Beck: I am an artist, oil painter, and dog lover. I teach drawing/painting at my school and private lessons as well. I have a passion for still life paintings and animal related work, but I am also trying to dip my toes into figures and portraits as well.
A&C: Did you go to school for art/what is your background?
JB: I went to school for math/engineering and then I was a graphic designer for 10 years. While it may seem both of those things aren’t really related to painting, I find that art and science are extremely related. They are both versions of creative problem solving, designing, and finding interesting observations and connections. I’ve wanted to be a painter my whole life, but I only had an average artistic ability, so I mostly just tinkered on personal time. Once I acquired the technical skills at ARA Boston, I found that my dream of being a painter may actually be a possibility.
Creation of Eve, 24" x 48", oil on canvas, 2018
A&C: Do you have a favorite artist/piece of art?
JB: Norman Rockwell is my favorite artist of all time. My grandparents had a print of his painting titled, "Coming Home" in their house. It's the first time I remember being enthralled by a painting.
A&C: What drew you to art initially?
JB: There’s probably some combination of neurons and chemicals in my brain that could account for that but personally, I have no idea!
A&C: What is your go-to album/artist right now (in the studio)?
JB: Every single time I come to the easel; I get anxious no matter what. I could have had a super great day of painting the day before and still… the next day I’m filled with dread and fear. I have two default go-to playlists that ease me back into it. One is shuffling all the songs by Mike Doughty. He’s an amazingly creative musician and I know it all by heart, so it feels familiar and comforting. The other is a playlist based on the artist Iron & Wine. I find it tends to play songs that calm me down and brings me to a good place to start.
Left: The
Primrose Path, 13" x 28", oil on canvas panel, 2018
Right: Ashes
and Embers, 12" x 20", oil on Canvas Panel, 2018
A&C: What do you like most about Artist & Craftsman Supply?
JB: Your staff is so much more knowledgeable and accommodating than other stores. It’s definitely an artists’ art store. I can confidently send my students there and know that they won’t be steered in some random direction when it comes to supplies.
A&C: What’s one thing you can’t leave an art store without buying?
JB: Brushes, stretcher bars, and panels… you know, just in case!
Left: Lydia the
Lawyer, 18" x 36", oil on canvas, 2016
A&C: How has your practice changed over time?
JB: The largest change in my practice came when I moved to Boston and found The Academy of Realist Art Boston. Before that I was kind of aimlessly trying to teach myself. I had been working in acrylic paints for years (oil paints were very intimidating and the classes I took didn't really explain HOW to use the oil paints) but when I started attending ARA Boston, I switched back to oil paints and my technical abilities began to take off. I learned how to draw accurately and that translated to significantly better paintings. Acquiring technical skills for me opened the doors for my expression and what I wanted to do. Painting is still quite difficult and the more I learn the more I realize how much I don’t know, but I am grateful for the solid foundations that I developed at ARA Boston.
A&C: What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given (not necessarily art related)?
JB: My dad likes to say, “We’re all going to be dead someday.”
I think that it can be easy to fall into the existential dread of life and I can get caught up in the anxiety and fear that I’m not making amazing work, or that all my ideas are stupid, and compare myself to others too much. This “advice” helps me to put things in perspective. It’s strange that the reminder of my own mortality actually calms me down a bit. We only have a short time to exist and we should do the things we love and not put so much pressure on ourselves. Just keep learning and keep making.
Left: Not My
Circus, oil on canvas, 2016 | Center: The Vocabulary of the Self, 16" by
20", oil on canvas panel, 2018
Right: They That Sow the Wind, 10" x
12", oil on canvas panel, 2017
A&C: What inspires you?
JB: Weathered objects, antique shops, intimate moments, color, relationships, science, space exploration, coincidences, and organization.
A&C: What is your favorite place to visit where you live?
JB: As someone who has a passion for still lifes, I love hunting for props! My favorite places to find them are the Cambridge Antique Market in Boston, the Thoreauly Antiques in Concord, and the Canal Street Antique Mall in Lawrence.