Julia Veenstra was born with a brush in her hand. Artistically oriented, Julia was no stranger to the accolades she received for her realism-based pencil sketches of horses since grade three until her enrollment in Sheridan College for illustration. Opening Julia Veenstra Studios in May of 2012 was a natural progression for the artist who since 2010 had rented space above a neighbourhood café. "I wanted a storefront atmosphere that operated as an informal workspace where people could have an interactive experience seeing me work," Julia explains as she pats her paint-smeared smock, itself a wondrous collage of colour against the six-by-four-feet vibrant canvasses streaked with crimson, sapphire blue and chartreuse that line her studio's walls.
With acrylic paints as her preferred medium, Julia's artistic style, which she describes as "lively impressionistic and uniquely Canadian" sees her use bold and vibrant colours on canvas. Inspired by Emily Carr, Tom Thomson and Lawren Harris from the Group of Seven, her admiration for the way they apply paint has informed her own work in how her touches of colour and texture convey those glimpses of everyday life. "My style has evolved over the last 25 years into a unique thumbprint," Julia says as she explains how she also offers instruction in composition and colour blocking to finishing.
