Inspiration

Julia Brooker is drinking another cup of tea in her Cardiff studio, she says
"I am very lucky. I am passionate about what I do. While I was bringing up my son I worked in property development, but as soon as he was grown up I went to Art College. And now I earn my living as an artist. It's the best job I have ever had! "

"I dream about making paintings, and wherever I go, I am looking at colours, surface qualities, textures. it might be light flickering through trees, pink candy floss at the beach, moss on a gravestone."

"Winning two art prizes at Art College meant I got to Tokyo and New York. I loved the liveliness, big yellow taxis glossy against the monochrome streets, giant plate glass buildings reflecting each other, hectic neon lights and recently in Hong Kong the noodle bars and night markets."

"Hundreds of pictures from advertisements, magazines, birthday cards, children's drawings.. I keep them all . and use them to give me ideas. And I look at work by my favourite artists, Marc Rothko, Pierre Bonnard, Patrick Heron, Mark Francis, Jason Martin and James Turrell."

She smiles, remembering ".then suddenly ideas crowd into my mind .. I am excited and want to start straight away making new paintings."

See article in University of Gloucester Alumni Magazine