There is something amazing about nature that we often tend to overlook in our busy lives. Nature inspires happiness. I'm not just saying that to be trite. I mean it. Spending time in the outdoors, even if it is just your local park, is a great way to reinvigorate your life and give you perspective. Smelling the flowers, spotting a squirrel or a bird, looking at a beautiful tree, or watching the clouds roll by can make you feel a part of this great planet we live on--something bigger than yourself. From the moment we are born we become part of the vast community of life, but then we get so busy we forget to we slow down and savor the moments right in front of us. This newsletter is about exploring nature and, in turn, how nature inspires me to be an artist and an author. Then I'll show you some of my newest nature-inspired paintings, some which will be on display and available for purchase at THREE art festivals in August. Let's not dally here, we've got nature to explore!
The Universe at our Feet.
In Chapter 11 of my book, Ebby the Magnificent, Tails of an Elusive Baby Bunny, Soto the artist tells Ebby about Sofia, the magic dragon. He describes a scene between a young Sofia and her grandfather, Seamus in which Sofia sees Seamus staring endlessly at a tidal pool near the Big Sea in the Land of Dragons. Curious, Sofia asks her grandfather why he spends his days staring at the pool of water at his feet. Seamus explains he spent his youth traveling the world, much like an Elusive Baby Bunny, but is no longer able to travel because of his age and family obligations. As a result, he enjoys looking at the world around him, including the little universe full of life at his feet. He tells Sofia it is important to travel the world, but it is also important to explore the world right in front of you.
I was recently on Vancouver Island and came across a large tidal pool. Everyone around me just stepped around it and kept walking. I stopped to stare at it to see if Seamus was right. He was! There was an entire universe right at my feet. I took a short video of the tide pool and have read a short excerpt from my book. I hope you enjoy it by clicking on the video below.
This is a photo of the tide pool. It would be easy to walk past it and never know it was swarming with life.
Nature Inspires me to Paint.
I am always taking pictures. Thousands of pictures. Some are just place/memory holders for me to go back on later in life and remember the special moments I experienced. But others are pictures I took specifically with the intention of painting them later. These are a couple of the paintings I did this year. The first painting is of Falls Creek in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. The second is of the Salmon Creek Trail, where the bridge crosses over Cougar Creek. If you are interested in seeing how I painted the bridge picture, I made a series of videos where I discuss the painting process as I work through the many layers of this painting. I also made some time lapse videos which shrink about an hour of time into 30 seconds of film. I have posted all of them on my Facebook and Instagram accounts. You can link to those pages from my website at www.jwjulian.com or at www.facebook.com/JWJulianBooks or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/j.w.julian. You can also watch one of the videos to see what the heck I am talking about. I am continuously posting videos showing my latest creations. I do this for two reasons: 1) I am continuously asked questions about my painting process, and 2) I want to distinguish myself from the artists (especially book illustrators) who use AI or computer generated imagery.
I use the brightest colors imaginable when I am painting landscapes. One of the fun things about being an artist is you can "enhance" anything you like. I usually paint bold blue skies and the greenest of foilage. I don't like using hushed tones, which is why the illustrations in my book are so bright and colorful.
These are two more paintings I have done recently. Both are inspired by real places I have visited. The first is of the Salmon Creek Trail in Vancouver, Washington. The next is of an incredible field of poppies in Croatia on the Istrian Peninsula. There is a similar painting in Chapter 4 of Ebby the Magnificent, but I painted this one specifically for the Vancouver Arts and Music Festival's Fine Art Fair. I received word a few days ago that it, the Yosemite Falls Painting, and the Aspen painting below were all accepted!! I am so incredibly excited! It will be available for sale in August, so let me know if you are interested in acquiring any of them. I also make art greeting cards with all of my artwork, which I offer for sale on my website and at the events I attend. Reach out to me if you don't see what you are looking for on my website Merch page.
Sometimes I like to work in different styles.
Aspens are one of my favorite trees to paint.
Although I typically work with brushes and create intricately detailed imagery, sometimes I like to work with a pallet knife and create more abstract work, like these two paintings. I like to paint on wood panels when using the pallet knife. These two paintings will be for sale in August at the art festivals I am attending (more information about that below).
Summer Art Festivals featuring my artwork and Ebby the Magnificent are coming in August!
This painting of Yosemite Falls, together with the Poppy Field and Aspens were accepted to the Vancouver Arts and Music Festival Fine Art Fair! It will be held on August 3, 4, and 5 in Vancouver. More details below. If you want to see my process in creating this Yosemite Falls painting, click on the painting to take you to my Facebook page or my Instagram page where you will find 16 videos I posted showing me painting it in a time-lapse format, or otherwise explaining my process.
August Art Festivals and Author Events
As I mentioned in my last newsletter, I was invited to participate in three art festivals in August! I have added an Events page to my website, which contains details on all of the events I will attend.
The first event is the Vancouver Arts and Music Festival on August 2-4, 2024, in Vancouver, Washington at Esther Short Park. This is a FREE 3-day event, packed with music and live entertainment, a fine art gallery with a wide array of talented artist vendors, food vendors, and more fun for the entire family. In addition to having three pieces on display at the Fine Arts Gallery, I will be a vendor in the park, selling copies of Ebby the Magnificent, art greeting cards, prints, T-shirts, and other merchandise. And, for the first time in a long time, I will be selling several original paintings. Click on the photo below to go to the website.
The second event is the Washougal Arts and Music Festival from 9 am to 3 pm on August 10 at Reflection Plaza in downtown Washougal, Washington. This FREE event with live music is a smaller, more intimate event, where I have been selected as just one of 27 local artists to display and sell my art, as well as autographed copies of Ebby the Magnificent. If you don't already have a copy, you can pick one up here.
The third event I am participating in on August 10 is a free local author event called NW Fun in the Sun at the Covington House located at 4201 Main St, Vancouver, WA from 10 am to 3 pm. This is a free event and your chance to meet over 30 local authors and buy autographed copies of their books. There will be a free writers workshop and plenty of other free events. I had a blast there last year and hope to have a good group of book enthusiasts out in force this year too.
The fourth and final event I will participate in this August is the much anticipated and well attended music event of the summer, the 3-day Vancouver Wine and Jazz Festival. I will join 19 other fine artist displaying and selling their exquisite art. In addition to the amazing art for sale, there will be so many world-renowned musicians, it has been called the largest music event of its kind in the Southwest Washington area. And don't forget the wine and food that will be available! I am super honored to have been chosen as an artist at this event and I would love to see you there. Advanced tickets for this event are available at a discount in advance at https://www.vancouverwinejazz.com or at regular price at the event.
Ebby is the perfect gift for every occasion.
Ebby the Magnificent is available in a First Edition heirloom quality hardcover edition or a deluxe softcover version. Both versions include a sewn and glued seam, heavy, high-quality paper, gorgeous, full-color images, and a map of the Land of Stones on the front and back covers so you always know where you are. Because it is a one hundred percent positive, bright, hopeful and cheery book, full of adventure, beautiful illustrations, and valuable life lessons for all ages, it is the perfect gift for weddings, baby showers, graduations from 1st grade to PhDs, birthdays, and any other reason you might have to give a beautiful and thoughtful gift. Available only at www.jwjulian.com and select independent bookstores now listed on the Stores page of my website. I am happy to custom autograph book.
Special Order your own Ebby T-Shirt!
I am happy to order special T-shirts featuring the art from my book at no extra cost. Do you like one of the paintings in my book, or something I share here, like the brand new Poppy painting? Just contact me, like my friends Tina and Dianne did and order your own special T-shirt. These are some of the T-shirts I recently made. All standard Fruit of the Loom T-shirts cost only $25.00, regardless of size or image. Additional costs may apply for other styles or brands.
We LOVE our readers and LOVE getting reviews!
Reviews are a great way for you to tell other people about the book and are extremely important for independent self-published authors. If you enjoyed Ebby, please consider sharing your thoughts with your friends, your book club, your colleagues, on Amazon, Goodreads, , with me, or wherever you write reviews. As an independent, self-published author, word of mouth is my BEST advertisement. This is a review I received from a 10-year old reader named Heidi:
I bought your book and I think it's wonderful! I'm only at chapter four and I already think it might be my favorite book and you might be my favorite author.
And here's another one I received from Susan, a member of the Washougal Arts and Cultural Alliance Community:
I am almost done reading Ebby, and what a sweet, sweet book it is. I used to teach elementary school, and what a great book that would be to teach about kindness and empathy. Everyone could learn a thing or two from Ebby!
Happy reading and hoppy adventures!
J. W. Julian
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