Woman 2 Painting

Julie Hendriks (1970 - The Hague, The Netherlands) started her six-year training at the Willem de Kooning Academy of art and design in Rotterdam before graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague in 1997. Since she has worked as a visual artist and illustrator and started her own children's art label Beerlala. Julie's vibrant and colourful canvasses have developed a steady flow of loyal followers over the years. "Whatever the subject of my paintings, people recognise my work". Women have always played an important part in Julie's artworks. Spirited women, who's intriguing gaze demand their observers' full attention showing off their individuality through their poses. "I don't use life models but instead like to explore photographed images of various body types and positions and along the way let the painting develop it's own tale". Throughout the development of her Flower Series, Julie found inspiration from the still-life flower portraits from the Dutch Golden Age. "Through my research into types of flowers I've come across some amazing and wonderful as well as absurd and bombastic species and was blown away by the variety of hues on offer", quite astonishing! I wanted to embrace these colours and invent my own contemporary flowers". The result is a series of vivacious and invigorating paintings. Nature has always been an important influence in Julie's work and leafless trees are often to be found in her paintings. "Trees represent power and strength. The tree trunk with its weathered bark and branches that reach to the stars". You might find them subtly hidden away in the clothing of the character or as a shade somewhere in the picture. "There are still so many stories to be told... and this is only the beginning".