Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Júlia Godoy. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Júlia, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
When in doubt, I go back to nature. Not only does getting out of the city and into the woods give me a sense of peace, but it often helps me to slow down. I am able to remember there are so many moving parts in the world, and somehow it meshes together perfectly. Trusting the process by stepping out of my art studio and into nature gives me the opportunity to look at things from a wider perspective. Oftentimes, when I am in a creative rut, it is because I am looking at things too closely. It is hard to see the bigger picture- the balance of the ecosystem, when I am too focused on individual pieces. My artwork is meshed very closely to the natural world as I work with natural foraged pigments. Much of my inspiration is inspired by patterns found in the landscape, designs on rock faces, and in the way running water moves. For me, getting back into nature is the main way to reignite my creativity as it is like a library waiting to be read.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am a Brazilian artist based in Los Angeles who creates art from natural, hand-sourced materials. I received my formal training from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with an emphasis in Painting. My journey begins in nature where I hike throughout Los Angeles in order to collect plants, insects, and minerals. I grind them by hand using a mortar and pestle in order to create artist quality pigments. My pigments serve as a link between the physical land I reside on and my intangible memories and emotions. I believe the land and the materials I collect have a memory of their own, and I am fascinated with allowing their echoes to present themselves though the use of hand mulled paint.
Within the past year, I have launched my own watercolor paint line, print shop, and I began hosting paint making workshops in my art studio in Downtown Los Angeles. My paint line includes handmade watercolor paints made from pigments collected in the Los Angeles Mountains, and they are mulled in small batches. I digitally sculpted the paint palettes and I print each one with my 3D printer. The paints are completely organic, biodegradable, and safe to go down the sink. The palettes themselves are made from a non-degradable plastic, although I designed them to be reusable in order to continue my sustainable practice. Painters can either refill their palettes with store bought paint, or they can join me in my art studio for a paint making workshop and refill their palettes themselves.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
First and foremost: patience. Nothing worth having comes easily. Second, determination. While having a vision and a drive guided me into my artistic path, nothing has kept me on it besides a strong sense of routine. I learned inspiration will not strike me magically, it can only come through doing. Third, my knowledge in materials and techniques. I debated on going to art school for years before attending the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia, and I am grateful everyday for my decision to go. It is there where I learned about traditional painting techniques, color theory, and developing my schedule. While the subject of my artwork has taken a step away from traditionalism, the techniques I use everyday in my painting and paint making process are those which have been handed down by the masters from centuries ago.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
The biggest obstacle I am currently facing is accepting change. Many things have shifted in my life this year, and I felt spread thin trying to hold it all together. I believe the artwork we create is a direct reflection of our subconscious minds, and during my period of change, I forced myself to pull out everything from my studio and look it unobstructed. I saw how layered my life was, and I saw how drained I was by overextending myself just to try to keep the pieces from falling apart. I came to terms with the fact that the calvary is not coming. Through mediation, nature walks, and practicing gratitude, I realized I had to learn to let go my sense of control, and to embrace the unexpected. I began simplifying my life, and my artwork followed.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.juliagodoystudio.com
- Instagram: @juliagodoystudio
