Julie Duff – ‘Independent Art Newspaper’ Gallery Profile

The paintings of artist Julie Duff leap off the canvas in a burst of colour, tempting the viewer to drop everything – including their cold and grey daily life – to search for a world of sunshine and warmth. “I find them very cheerful,” Duff tells The Independent, as she sits alongside her display at the Cynthina I. Noel Gallery in St. John’s. “That’s what I think when you sell your paintings, you’re OK with it because hopefully it will cheer somebody else up. I also like the idea that if you look at the painting you think, ‘Oh that’s a place I’d like to be.'”

With her use of vibrant shades, Duff captures a sense of beauty and tranquility of nature through acrylic and watercolour. “Landscapes and floral, that’s my m ain thing. Landscapes – I like working with light, shadows and sunlight, winter themes and that sort of thing. Floral – flowers are just so beautiful and I like bright colours.”

Duff moved to St. John’s from Winnipeg in 1988. As a full-time accountant, she was a late initiate to the world of art, only realizing her talent in 1997 after enrolling in classes. She now exhibits regularly with the Newfoundland and Labrador Art Association and is a member of the organization’s executive. “I love art, it’s something I’ve always been interested in and I decided to start taking some classes and from the first class I fell totally in love with it and haven’t stopped painting since.”

She says one of the most motivating experiences in her relatively short artistic career was visiting France last summer on a painting excursion. Not only did it give Duff the chance to capture a different kind of scenery, but she also got to see, firsthand, the work of her favourite artist, Claude Monet. “I love the impressionists so seeing all their work you know, it was just so overwhelming. I knew it would be exciting, but it was like 10 times … They were so big and they’re so beautifully framed.  “It’s the beauty of it. When you see painting they just move something in you.”

Duff is currently exhibiting her work as a guest artist with the Cynthia I. Noel Gallery for the month of March.