Hello, I’m Juliette.

I’m a painter, writer and creative educator based in Wisconsin. As often as possible, I paint barefoot, preferably outside on my studio balcony, surrounded by flower gardens and the tallest trees – my main sources of inspiration.

I’m also an avid gardener and enthusiastic cook and would be delighted to have you over for dinner! When I’m not painting, writing and travelling to create in gardens around the world, I live with my bluegrass singing husband on 10 acres of magical pine woods in the countryside.

My style moves between abstraction and figuration, utilizing techniques that involve building up layers of paint and mixed media to create colorful surfaces for my whimsical characters.

My art is a form of visual storytelling. Working primarily in mixed media with oils, acrylics, inks, pastel, pencil, pen and non-traditional materials like spray paint and origami paper, my paintings are a way to resolve and clarify the emotions I feel and see every day and translate them into the colors, expressions and gestures you see in my backgrounds and characters.

I choose to allow the marks and patterns to overlap so the layers underneath show through as a way to mirror the human condition. Every painting ultimately then becomes a deeper understanding of the world and a hope to reveal a universal truth and connectedness I can never quite express well enough with words but feel deep in my heart.

In 2009, I founded The School of Happy Painting, a suite of online courses to help you get creative and live your dreams.

I’ve built my creative career around following my heart and focusing on what I enjoy doing most, which has led to thousands of collectors, customers and students around the world, press in publications like Glamour Magazine, Somerset Studio and Oprah.com, being published in multiple books, having five books of my own on Amazon, launching eighteen online classes, opportunities to teach in-person and sales of originals, prints, cards, calendars, books and more in galleries and shops around the world.

Painting and storytelling have always been my passion and I am so very honored to be able to share my art with you!

With love & gratitude,
xo

My Story

I quit doing art after college.

I never thought it’d be possible to be a full-time artist, so I stopped painting. All of my early artwork ended up in the basement or trash, so I thought, “What good is it to paint?” I never thought anyone would want to see my work.

I went to college to study biology, but I couldn’t stay away from the art room. I couldn’t help myself from painting on everything and anything. I found a huge sheet of paper and taped it above my bed and whenever I could, I’d work on that drawing. When it was done, I started in on a white cabinet. I drew colorful abstract scenes with colored pencils, crayons and markers. I’m sure that giant drawing and cabinet got thrown in the garbage as soon as I moved. But I learned I couldn’t not be an artist.

When I graduated, I went to work as an arts journalist, writing about the arts for newspapers and magazines. It took many different jobs as a journalist, photographer, graphic designer, floral designer, website developer and more before I finally realized the only thing I could put my heart into was being a full-time artist.

Then in the summer of 2009 I lost my job. It was the first job I ever really loved (as a landscaper). I took time to renew my spirit and started painting again.

To heal my spirit, I went back to what I adored most as a child – painting in my backyard. My sister-in-law gifted me with a few fabulous vintage wallpaper books, and I fell in love with the colors and patterns. I knew I had to do something with that gorgeous paper.

And that’s what started all of my whimsical paintings.

I’d opened an online shop because I’d had the dream of selling my art. Yet I didn’t feel brave enough to share my paintings with the world. For months, I listed feather hair clips and beaded earrings that I’d made. I was way too freaked out to show my paintings.

I didn’t think anyone would want to see my art, let alone buy it.

But when friends stopped by, they said they liked my work. I finally got up the courage to ask at our local library and exhibited my art the next month. I invited family, friends and friends of friends to a little opening.

That’s how I sold my first two originals to people I didn’t know. The library also purchased a piece for their permanent collection. And a few people asked for prints and cards, so I started selling those too.

Little by little, it all gave me the confidence to take another step and share more.

I’ve been getting so many questions about how to start an online business for your own art, so I’ve put together my Business For Creatives class to give you the roadmap.

My Creative Process

My creative process mostly takes place at my home and studio on the middle of 10 acres of magical pine woods in the Wisconsin countryside. Every morning, I begin my day by sipping lemon water and journaling, followed by a big mug of black coffee.

On days that I paint, I head into the studio and work all day, pausing for lunch and a walk in the woods. Every painting begins with a background. This process is fun and exhilarating, where I get out all of my emotions and play. I work on many paintings at once, so when I’m stuck on a character, I’ll often go back to this background painting process to loosen up and paint more freely again.

My canvases take a few days to add the background and first layers, and several weeks to complete the character and finished piece. I always take steps away, then come back and add more and more layers, especially to the background. As one background dries, I start a character on another piece. But once I find a character and connect with the painting, I keep working on it until it resonates with my heart. Larger paintings often take many, many weeks to complete.

It wasn’t until I started adding whimsical characters to my artwork that I finally felt connected to my paintings. When I add my characters, there’s something in the eyes that hits my heart. I feel a connection and I don’t want to paint over that the way I always covered up my abstract paintings. It’s almost like looking into a mirror and I find that I paint until I feel a connectedness with my heart.

Let’s Stay Connected!

Join my Free Painting Workshop to learn the fundamental principles I use to paint with style and whimsy, from covering up the white space to final artwork.

I hope my blog, online courses, books and originals help you stay inspired too. I’m also always sharing more inspiration on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Thank you so much for visiting my creative world!