Artist Statement
Julia has a multidisciplinary practice with a strong research base inspired by the historical and contemporary traditions of Botanical Art and Contemporary Drawing practice.
Julia's work is informed by over 20 years experience as a horticulturalist in a variety of community projects, a Community Grower at 'Growing Communities' in Hackney and the women's Horticultural project -'The Coriander Club' at Spitalfields City Farm.
Julia ran the Market Garden and Herb Workshops at the Blackthorn Trust Garden in Kent working with adults with mental health and long term conditions for over 14 years.
An ‘ethno botanical artist’ Julia uses plants as a way of telling stories about our relationships with the natural world.
Her work embodies many layered considerations and narratives social, environmental, symbolic, historical and spiritual. Engaging with plant material accessed from her local landscape from National Plant Collections and Community gardens.
Julia is a member of the Bedgebury Pinetum Florilegium Society ,the Chelsea Physic Garden Florilegium Society and the Iceni Botanical Artists group.
She also makes work inspired by the Japanese ‘Oshibana’ tradition of making pictures using pressed flowers and other botanical materials. Using her knowledge of running the herb workshop to process plants in different ways.