My name is Julie Riker. I have been interested in creating art since I was a kid. Art class was always my favorite and I credit my CV art teacher Selby Doughty for encouraging me to pursue it as a career. I studied Illustration at the University of the Arts. It was a fabulous curriculum of fundamentals – drawing, color theory, copying old master techniques. As an Illustration major we explored many mediums, but I always liked oils best.

How does your medium inform your viewpoint? What do you like most about your medium?

The richness of color is unlike any other medium, and the ability to push and pull / wipe out and add paint works especially well for the plein air work I am doing now. In my painting process I am constantly making/changing decisions and the oil paints are very versatile for that.

Who or what have been your artistic inspirations?

I have been inspired by so many artists both current and past. Some of my favorites include John Singer Sargent – for his economic but precise brushstrokes, Andrew Wyeth – for his stunning compositions of everyday scenes, and Richard Diebenkorn – for his abstractions of representational ideas.

Do you have a favorite piece in your portfolio?

I do have some favorite paintings, but usually what makes me love a particular painting is not the final product, but the experience I had creating it. What I find most interesting is what the public chooses as favorites among my work. Everyone seems to be drawn to a different painting rather than all liking the same one. I think that is a good thing – that in my range of motifs there is something that speaks to everyone.

What would be your advice to artists just starting out in your medium?

PAINT. LOTS. It is only with miles on the brush that you will improve. Don’t try to paint in a particular “style”. Your style will evolve as you gain confidence with your brush. After several years people will make comments about your style before you even realize you have one. Never become too comfortable with a particular way of painting – always have a mission to improve. Paint – not to sell -but because you love it.