Julie Loper

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Artist’s Statement

I began painting watercolors in January 2015 as a therapeutic approach to managing chronic pain.  When I am alone at home, painting, I am transformed.  Focusing on color, light, and movement takes me out of my physical body for a time and calms my mind, soothes my spirit.

By painting a setting or animal, I get to know every curve of the neck, dimple of the petal, angle of the branch, ray of light on the field, so that the painting becomes a part of me in a mystical transformation.

Nature is my church, where I feel closest to God.  The woods, the mountains, the lakes are where I feel most centered, grounded, and joyful.  By painting these images, I bring them into my studio, my home, and ultimately – my heart and psyche.
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Artist's Biography
Born in New Orleans, Julie was raised in Algiers and Hammond in a family whose main concern was putting food on the table and keeping the kids out of trouble.  As the baby of the family, she learned a strong work ethic from her mother, who raised five children on her own after Julie’s father died when she was just 5 years old.  Her mother encouraged her to excel in academics, but coming up she had very little exposure to any creative endeavors.

After graduating Southeastern Louisiana University with a Bachelors degree in Computer Science, Julie enjoyed a successful career as a software developer for 30 years.  With a sudden and very painful arrival of fibromyalgia in 2012, she had to stop working due to chronic pain and fatigue. 

Having been an active person her entire life - sailing, hiking, skiing, cycling, and swimming, Julie had a lot of pent up energy that she was physically unable to work out. It was during this confusing and scary time that she turned to an old hobby of beading to calm her nervous system and provide an outlet for her mind and soul.  She would sit at her kitchen table and lose herself in the colors and shapes of the beads and the intricacies of working with wire.