Julie Devine

My work is about heightened emotional and spiritual experience in landscape. I pay close attention to the quality of light; its value, source, and temperature. I paint and structure pieces of light and try to convey a sense of air and movement. Shapes and composition are also very important to me. Painting outdoors is inspirational, and has influenced the way I work. I have learned to favor palette knives for their speed and immediacy. Outside, among the changing conditions, I paint more quickly, confidently, and with thicker paint. Immersed in the elements, the colors come more intuitively and I make more of a mess. I draw upon this outdoor experience when working in the studio on larger work, channeling the freedom and fluidity that make plein air paintings so fresh and vibrant.