Interview

Dec 12

Julia Cripps

Julia is one of two siblings living in the United Kingdom in the North East of Essex where picturesque countryside exists and beautiful surroundings. Having lived in this area for most of her life and visiting Ontario Canada for nine years her knowledge is vast her creativity starting at a young age from colouring and drawing to working with silk, wood carving, pyrography, flower arranging, cake making and decorating, clothes making, horticulture mosaics and murals. Working with children with multiple disabilities but now she is taking it easy and doing what she loves working with colours and textures.

What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?

“As a child, I was the younger one of two older siblings who had left home by the time I was old enough to know that they had left home in search of their careers. I felt like an only child just being at home alone with my parents. My parents were older parents as my sister was thirteen years older and my brother eleven years older; they were war babies, and I came along at the end in 1958. Right from a young age, I loved colouring and drawing I found it therapeutic and it was like a form of meditation to get away from what was going on around me. I could go to a different level and I still am able to take myself off sometimes three hours. I didn't really enjoy school partly not knowing at the time that I suffered from anxiety and dyslexia. When I eventually left school at eighteen, I became a Nursery Nurse working in an old TB hospital. I worked with Special Needs children and I was always painting scenes on the walls to brighten the ward up. I then worked in the Staffs Day Nursery and painting and creativity were always on the to do list. By the year 2000, I was married with two children, so creativity was very much used. I also went to the local College and did a Interior design course. As a family we moved to Canada. I only stayed for nine years my daughter came back and my son trained as a pilot but unfortunately died in an accident. When I returned to the United Kingdom, I did a Floristry Course for four years I loved the colours of the flowers and making designs. In 2020, my friend said to me, “I think you should go back and start doing your paintings again,” and at this point an online course for abstract painting came up, it was in lockdown during COVID. It was for four months in California. The teacher was Nicholas Wilton and my art took off. I now have an art studio; I have sold paintings. I have made some clothes from material with my paintings printed on them. I have had my pictures in the local art clubs and also displayed in the local museum. I also have a webpage and I’m on social media. I find photography useful too; always looking for unusual pictures to take.”

What inspires you?

“Many people have asked what inspires me. I don't really think like that because whatever transpires comes from my soul; it’s quite exciting because I never know what is going to happen, I just choose the paint and my soul and mind do the rest.”