Interview 4

feels honoured that so many people will have a chance to experience Junkanoo through her painting.

“It’s incredible. Thousands of people travel great distances each year to see the paintings that have been selected, and this year is the 250th-year celebration,” she said.

“On the day that all the chosen artists were there to see the paintings in the gallery for the first time, they had a steel band playing songs like ‘Brown Girl in the Ring’, which made it feel even more special, as if I was representing the Bahamas and its traditions,” she told Tribune Weekend.

While Julie has now established herself as a successful artist, it took time for her talent to develop.

“I was terrible at art in school. It wasn’t until years later when I was living in Spain that I started trying my hand at art. I then took more of an interest whilst living in Miami and started selling a few paintings to family and friends. When I moved to London, in 2002, seascapes and tropical flowers were a constant in my paintings, as if they were a way for my soul to bridge the gap between my past, my roots and living abroad. I was certainly missing the warm tropical weather during the cold English winters,” she said.

“I stopped painting for a few years to have a family, but once my children started school, I took it up again. At that point in my life painting became an important release for me, somewhere I could lose myself for a few hours doing something that I loved. I started exhibiting my paintings in different exhibitions around London. I love to inspire creativity in others and have held art classes for children and adults.”

In 2019, Julie started her own business, Jwesty Design, where she sells her paintings along with a wide range of products, such as stationery, textile and homeware products that are designed by the artist and made in the UK.

“I try to divide my time equally between my art, my business and my family. It would be a dream to have my paintings and products available to buy in the Bahamas,” she said.

Due to the pandemic, Julie has not been home since 2019, however, she is looking forward to coming back as soon as possible.