Julie Cowdy

I am a photoartist based in North Yorkshire, although we live in the Occitanie region of France most summers.

My work is informed and inspired by my journey through art; I’ve been a fashion designer, art teacher and property presenter, until I retired and then realised how interesting and rewarding photography can be.

My work covers different genres including narrative, still life and floral subjects. My images have been exhibited online, in International salons and in a solo exhibition.

Through post-processing techniques I create unique results, combining my original images with painted and photographed textures. The result is creative photography which often tells stories to engender emotional responses.

Botanical art has always interested me and the iconic rose illustrations of Pierre-Joseph Redouté, the great 19th century botanical artist, seem to have inspired my love of photographing flowers, fruit and vegetables. So recently, I have chosen to take a closer look at the fruits of the earth.

In doing this, I wanted to create a new take on a traditional subject, with each one created in a trompe l’oeil style. The addition of antiqued framing is a nod to the illustrated plates in botanical books of old. The decision to suspend each specimen with rustic string was a practical presentational solution.

These two pieces form part of a portfolio “Fruits of the Earth”, based on botanical art, that I submitted to the RPS for a distinction. It took over a year in total to create the images and complete the set of fifteen. I was delighted to receive notification in November 2020 that I have been awarded ARPS, which means that I am an Associate of the Royal Photographic Society.