Julie Mercantini completed a Fine Arts Diploma from the Ottawa School of Art in 2017 and has since exhibited in several curated group and solo exhibitions. She rarely uses visual references which allows her to paint intuitively and to create without constraint. The images in her artwork emerge from memory and imagination and develop on the canvas. Her skies are a key feature for creating atmosphere and movement in her dreamscapes. She is the recipient of numerous art awards and scholarships.

ARTIST’S STATEMENT

Inspiration for my artwork comes from nature, whether I am painting a landscape or an abstract. The sky, wind, trees and water are always present in my visual expression. I paint intuitively, using a combination of thin layers of paint and glazes to create light and transparency, as well as thicker areas with more expressive brushwork. As an oil painter, I rarely finish a painting in one sitting, revisiting my work several times over days and weeks until it is finished.