Julie Silvers, abstract painter and sculptor, finds inspiration for her unique eye in the things that surround her everyday – Architectural forms, nature, natural light, the works of other artists, and the love of her family. These layers of her life are reflected in the layered and textured approach that she brings to all of her works. Silvers paints and sculpts ceramics from her heart and her imagination, not from photos or models. While she loves to use recurring colors and symbols no two pieces are the same. Silvers considers her use of symbols as nothing more then “what you see – a natural expression of what I enjoy seeing”. Above all, Silvers intends for her creations to bring joy and happiness to those who view it. Not to challenge them, and she does this by using a primitive style, simple imagery, expressive colors and brush strokes, her work is purposely unstructured, allowing the viewer to feel the spirit that Silvers leave’s behind in her pieces. “Art makes me happy,” she says, “I want my art to make other people happy.”
A New Orleans native and 13-year graduate of Isidore Newman School, Julie earned an undergraduate degree in Liberal Arts and a Master’s in Social Work from Tulane University. Julie also attended New Orleans Academy of Fine Art. Despite her years of training and exposure to art, Julie considers herself primarily a self-taught artist. Silvers didn’t grow up wanting to be an artist. Her plan was to be an attorney, but as a daughter of an artist who grew up around creation of art and many artists soon led her on her own path of creation. Most influenced by her mothers work, Susan Wittenberg, well-known New Orleans artist who also published an art magazine, Les Beaux Arts. “We would go to art openings on the weekends,” Julie recalls “I couldn’t help but be influenced by her style.”
Happiest when she is creating Julie is as comfortable working in ceramics as she is with painting. When working with ceramics, she hand creates primitive figures, evocative totems, and very large vases. Silvers turns her vases, what most see as household items, into dynamic sculptures that are a vessel for her concept, which creates a dynamic conversation within an interior. Silvers palette consists mostly of neutral colors drawn from her natural surrounding, especially the beach and sky. When she hits a wall in the studio, she’ll go outside and lie in the sun to recharge.
“For me, technique is everything,” Julie says, “No two people will do something exactly the same way even if they are given the exact same materials and told what to do and how to do it. I guess it’s what makes each person’s expressions special. My art comes from a happy place, and I want to share that joy. Working with clay, for example, is pure joy for me, perhaps because ceramics seem to come naturally to me. Painting almost always presents a challenge, but I start fresh with each painting and never know how it will end up.” Silvers uses her unique expression on every piece she creates, her painting’s, ceramic totems and vessels are on view at Gallery 3954 and Hall Barnett Gallery, both in her hometown of New Orleans.
Artist Statement
Although graduating with my masters in social work and going on to be a wife and mother — I never dreamed of becoming an artist. I resisted the idea, but I could never escape my creativity. I see art all around me. I see beauty everywhere-it’s in nature, style, and design. Art found me and it fit into my life because I could paint and sculpt and still be there for my daughter and husband.
My art’s purpose is to make people happy. My life feels the most complete while I’m in my studio creating, and I want all people to feel that joy in the presence of my work. I find inspiration in various aspects of my daily culture. It’s the hair out of place, the texture of an ornate century old building, or the curves of a woman that I find beauty. I am in love with the female body, and the larger the better. She represents strength, love, and endurance. My wish is that I can be as brave as the women I create.
So, here I am, almost 50 years old and have been creating artwork for 30 years. I have a lot of experience behind me, but I still feel like I’m just getting started.
