Interview
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Juliet Thorburn
Juliet Thorburn is a Wilmington based artist with colorful and distinguished Caribbean roots. Her watercolor and oil paintings range from realism to versions of the abstract she calls her “Ethereals” and “Jewelled Ethereals”.
Juliet’s multicultural heritage, her late artist grandmother, Barbara Parsons, and the breathtaking natural beauty of Jamaica, her first home, have been her greatest sources of influences from an early age. She went on to study in the United States and Italy, successfully mastering the skillful use of color, light and both visual and "ethereal" detail. Her paintings have been largely exhibited in Jamaica and the United States.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“Born in Jamaica, I am the second daughter of an English mother and a Jamaican father. My English grandmother was a painter, so from an early age I was exposed to fine art. I went on to study graphic art and illustration at The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale to study Advertising Design. I later on discovered that I was drawn to fine arts, so I went ahead and took additional classes at the Edna Manley College for the Visual Arts in Kingston, Jamaica. I moved to Italy and studied further at L' Istituto per L'Arte e Il Restauro where I focused on watercolor painting.
I then returned to Jamaica where I started creating paintings which got a lot of sales and were exhibited at several galleries. I moved to the Jamaican country side which provided me with endless inspiration. I was now making ‘a living’ in art. In 2008 I moved to the United States. I have participated in several exhibits and I continue to showcase my paintings, book and prints on my website and social media platforms.”
“Nature is the primary source of my inspiration. I love painting trees, plants, flowers, landscapes, the sea and such. I show how the natural light can influence and enhance their colors. Color is a big thing for me and I love working in bright, vivid tones and hues.
I am sometimes, especially in the past 10 or so years, inspired from within where more stylized images and colors will come to me, especially in moments of calm, stillness and meditation, which I really try to keep up with as much as I can.”
What themes do you pursue?
“I would say that my overall "themes" are to do with bringing brightness into the world, capturing the essence of beauty and radiating that life is beautiful, to see the "light" and enjoy it. I would like to share with others that nature and beauty are transformational/transcendental and it's here all around us for us to access whenever we need to.”
How would you describe your work?
“I would describe my work as colorful, vibrant, happy, magical and uplifting expressions of nature, life and spirit. I use what I would describe as a "Caribbean palette" for the colors in my paintings and my style is representational for the most part but more "stylized" in form. I would describe some of my pieces as being in the genre of Magical Realism and some also have a whimsical quality to them.”
Which artists influence you most?
“Vincent Van Gogh, Georgia O'Keeffe, Paul Gauguin, Diego Rivera, Jean Michel Folon, Henri Rousseau. I also admire Frida Kahlo and Klimpt's work, even though I don't think they have influenced me directly.”
What is your creative process like?
“I often get inspired (as I imagine many artists do) when I least expect it and that happens quite often when I'm outdoors in nature. So when I see an image somewhere that really moves me and stops me in my tracks I try to record or capture that image either mentally, through photos or quick sketches. If I'm recording it mentally then as soon as I have access to drawing materials, I do a sketch or sketches so as to try to capture that feeling of when I first saw it. It's usually the emotion that makes me get as much of the essence of it as I can.
Once I've been able to get those feelings and images down on paper then I try to refine them with sketches in watercolor pencils until I'm happy with the results. In the case of taking photos of the image, I can usually create the sketches in more detail. In all cases, once I'm satisfied with the drawing and the colors I've chosen, then I enlarge it on paper to the dimensions that I feel will do it justice and then I transfer that to the paper or the canvas. Once that's done I start mixing my colors and then I'm ready to begin painting.
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“I believe that an artist's role in society is of great importance, as their work demonstrates their creativity. It is an expression of what they are seeing, believing and feeling. Artists share their ideas and perceptions with the world so that others can see life from another perception or view point. Art has the power and ability to really move people with their own emotions and ways of thinking and can be very uplifting, healing, encouraging and even transformational for the human spirit. I think part of its role is also to create greater beauty, harmony, peace and joy in the world. It also has the potential to deliver strong messages about political, cultural, environmental and societal issues so as to help to create greater awareness in our world about matters of importance to us all.”
“I usually start painting in the mornings after breakfast and meditation (ideally), so that I feel present and ready to give the piece my full attention. I always try to allow myself large blocks of time so that I won't feel rushed or pressured. I like to create a very calm and peaceful atmosphere in my studio before I begin. Sometimes I play inspirational and uplifting music to help me to get into the flow. Occasionally I'll listen to a book on audio or a podcast. In general I need solitude and silence to get going with the more involved aspects of the painting.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“ Some of my noteworthy exhibitions include:
Caribbean Impressions of the Delaware Valley”, DCH – May 3 – August 30, 2019; Embassy of Mexico, Kingston Jamaica – December 2002; Red Bones Gallery, Kingston Jamaica – September 2001; Grosvenor Galleries, Kingston Jamaica – November 1999, November 1997, August 1994
I've participated in some of the following group exhibitions:
CCAC Eye Shadow Exhibit, Wilmington, DE USA – March 2015; CCAA’s Members’ Juried Show, West Chester, PA USA – September 2012; Sunset Hill Fine Arts Gallery 13th Annual Miniature Show, West Chester PA, USA – Nov to Dec 2011; Plein Air Brandy Wine Valley Exhibition, Wilmington DE, USA – September 30, 2011; Jamaica National Biennial 2006; Jamaican Landscapes, Bolivar Gallery, Kingston Jamaica – July 2004; The Icehouse Gallery, New York – April 2004; Gallery West, Suffolk Community College, New York, USA – February 2004; The Art of Watercolour Exhibition, Mutual Gallery, Kingston Jamaica – February 2004; Artist of the Year Competition, Mutual Life Gallery – July 2001; Annual National Exhibition, Kingston Jamaica – December 1998; Annual National Exhibition, Kingston Jamaica – December 1996.
