Finding Peace In A Winter Wonderland

Decorating the Christmas Tree and 3 Tips For Following Your Creative Inspirations

I’m sitting in my sunroom, watching the snow. The pine trees are all covered in heavy white, like cotton blooms. The fire is going, and we’ve just put up our Christmas tree. We always wait a day before putting on ornaments. And, I have to say, at that point, where the tree is just standing in front of our bay window, empty, it’s so hard not to just wrap it with lights.

This year we’re planning to use white lights, but we did consider blue. We had blue lights on our tallest Christmas tree when we lived in a loft in Chicago.

We had this great little balcony that peeked out over the neighbor’s backyard. Everything was concrete, traffic, brick, and buildings. But I’d feel freedom looking into that greenspace below. That’s when I knew I had to move out of the city.

My husband and I got married in Door County, Wisconsin, a gorgeous area up north with lots of lakes and trees. Both our families used to camp there during our childhood, but we never ran into one another until high school. So, it felt like a natural spot for our wedding, even though looking back now, I can’t imagine how we got so many friends and family to drive all the way up there for one weekend.

Within a few years, we had moved from Chicago to a cute little house in Madison, Wisconsin. I used to paint at our tiny kitchen table in that house. Except in the summertime, I could take my supplies onto the patio outside - that’s when I really made a mess.

Now we’ve moved to the countryside. My studio is surrounded by the tallest trees. Nature has always been grounding for me.

These last few weeks, I’ve been painting a new collection inspired by new beginnings. It started as a collection of faces. It’s evolved to include lots of beachy inspirations, a few owls, and some big paintings that I’ll share with you soon. For now, I’m going to stay cozy in my purple faux fur blanket with a cup of hot chocolate.

This owl painting is called She Stands Out and she always reminds me of winter even though I painted her in a deep, hot summer. I’d taken my art studio outside at our Madison house and all of my supplies began to melt under the sun. Techniques that normally worked to add softness got all tight and unblended. I got so frustrated, I grabbed my white paint and made a mess. And in that mess, I saw this owl.

She is a reminder to follow your inspirations, allow your gifts to stand out, and remain true to your own heart.

Whenever I’m trying to follow my heart and incorporate new inspirations into my work, I follow these simple tips:

*Celebrate the Imperfections: Much like the imperfections in your process, celebrate those in your color choices. Sometimes, accidental blending or spontaneous additions result in unexpected beauty. Allow the colors to breathe and interact, creating a harmonious and authentic visual experience.

*Layer to Create Depth and Dimension: Building layers not only adds complexity to your characters but also enhances the depth of color. Experiment with transparent and opaque layers to create a multidimensional effect, evoking a sense of mystery and intrigue in your paintings.

*Embrace Unconventional Color Palettes: Don’t limit yourself to traditional color schemes. Experiment with unexpected combinations that evoke emotions and tell a unique story. Sometimes, the most captivating pieces arise from the bold use of colors that might not seem to naturally fit together. I will often layer green, blue, purple, and pink to get specific color hues for the eyes that are uniquely mine and unrepeatable.

I hope this is helpful for you and inspires you to find bliss and inspiration in your day.

Love, Juliette

my website

my shop

PS My Originals Shop will be closing December 10th until March while I’m on an artist residency, soaking up new inspirations and colors to put into my paintings.