Behind The Canvas With Julie Anderson by
Jessica Staley
When I first saw the artwork of local artist Julie Anderson, the only thing that came to mind was how her imagery had furnished my mind with happy feelings. Born in Delta and raised in the small town of Olathe, Julie Anderson discovered her love for art. Her family had always been into art, so when she felt the desire bubbling beneath the surface to create something she could relate to, she had the freedom to do just that. In the first grade, Julie’s family had decided to move to Rangley, CO, another small town miles away from anything. Julie continued to find her talent and dedicate deserved time to it.
Julie moved to Grand Junction shortly after graduating high school and sought more education from Mesa State College’s art program. In the meantime, Julie continued to create pieces for her own pleasure. Julie paints for herself and is motivated by how it makes her feel, but what she didn’t know was that other people enjoyed her work just as much as she did. When I saw Julie’s artwork, it meant something different for me than it did for her, but that’s the joy in her work; you will be able to find a meaning in her art for yourself. Julie’s work was first displayed at her graduating art show, which was held at the college. It moved on to be displayed at other locations such as Planet Earth in downtown Grand Junction, and also at her place of employment, the very fitting Artists Haven located on the highway
Julie’s artwork has become a demand amongst the local art culture thread, and is now displayed at “ Tenacious Brothers Pub” on the corner of 7th and Main. Amongst some of the pieces that grace the walls of the pub is one that is not only nice to look at, but takes me back to a certain era in my own life. There are no words to describe the feeling I had when I saw this piece. It was almost like I were being nostalgic about something I had not yet experienced. It was a simple yet euphoric feeling. When I asked Julie where her inspiration for this piece had come from, her reply “a box of dead birds” surprised me. It was that simple for her to take an object and create something that was just breathtaking. I find her art to be dark and mysterious, almost like reading a book with no ending. It left me with questions, but that’s the sheer beauty of her work, the answers are for you to harvest, the meaning is for you to find. I asked Julie what she would like to do with her art in the future and her answer was something like “wherever the road takes me,” which I found very inspirational. She’s not trying to make a huge name for herself, she is just doing what she loves to do, and if you can do that, you’re already better off than half of the rest of us.