20 Year Smolder Painting

Contemporary abstract artist Julia Contacessi explains her process as a combination of conscious and subconscious exploration. With a focus on color, texture and composition, Julia strives to delivers an atmospheric, feel-good effect in every one of her pieces. The artistic influence of Helen Frankenthaler and her belief that there is “no formula” and the artist should “let the picture lead you where it must go,” are principles that Julia embraces. In addition, finding beauty in the contrasting nature of things, much like artist Patricia Larsen, is what Julia seeks through her work. After graduating from Pratt Institute, Julia moved from Brooklyn, New York to Norwalk, Connecticut where she currently resides with her husband, Mario, and little guy, Neo. She hearts painting, photography and all things design. Sprinkle in the occasional 5 mile run and feisty conversations across the family dinner table on Sunday evenings and you have a good view of her world. Artist Statement: ‘Some days creating can be a battle, but then there is that moment when I layer on the paint just right — so that it dances in time and space. The canvas yields to my will, and I know I’ve just begun to capture something meaningful. That‘s when I have to catch my breath. It’s fascinating and wonderful, while at the same time, a struggle. That’s why I paint. My style is single-minded and focused on the simplicity of beauty in the moment. My goal is to drown out the noise and clutter to find a sense of calm. The end result is clean, fresh and modern.’