Julie Keaten Reed

My artistic career has followed an unconventional path. Likewise, the artwork is unconventional, a hybrid of Western and Asian traditions. My education in art began early, surrounded by the works of my grandmother, Carley Craig, a lifelong artist and a master of diverse media and genres. Growing up immersed in this creative milieu I developed a sensitivity to aesthetics and an appreciation of form, color and line.

In the 1990’s while living in Nagasaki, I found myself deeply moved by the art and lifestyle of the Japanese. A five-year stay there utterly transformed me. I was in my mid-thirties by then, but an irresistible need to create led me to pick up a brush for the first time since childhood.

The conflicting impulses of following the Asian art aesthetic which I admire so much and the desire to explore themes from my Western art heritage led to the blend of styles and techniques I use today. The heart, the center, the driving force of my work is Japanese sumi ink. The ink creates the grey background washes and the deep black foreground brushwork. Watercolor, in primary colors, is brought in selectively for accent. I feel the ink is the backbone structure of the work, while the color carries the emotional message. For surfaces, I work on canvas and seal the finished pieces with Liquitex archival lacquer, eliminating the need for glass or plexi and allowing for a closer experience of the work.

What I do spans cultures and fits into no neat category — is it drawing or painting, is it Western or Asian? Like many hybrids, it’s difficult to say, it’s yet another example of contemporary art of the Twenty-First century.