My Art Story
A personal narrative of my life as an artist
Ann Arbor, Michigan (born) 1958-1963
My mother, Norma, loved beautiful things. She designed our homes like pages from Architectural Digest. My father, Richard, was a renowned chemistry researcher and professor who often traveled for conferences, so my mother was able to collect artwork from all over the world. One of my first memories at age 3 or 4 was of studying up close an abstract painting that Mom had hung low where I could see it. Suddenly I realized I was seeing an arm, a belt--why, it was a man, dancing and spinning! I ran to tell her, but of course she already knew.
Madison, Wisconsin 1964-1973
My sister Beth, two years older than me, was an excellent artist. I remember the day she came home from 2nd grade and showed me a new way to make a nose using an L shape. I was thrilled! During the summer in Wisconsin, art was what we did, along with art classes and swimming. Mom proudly displayed our artwork on a big wall in the kitchen. Perhaps my career began at age 14, when my aunt and uncle, who owned a clay business in Iowa, entered one of my clay sculptures into the Iowa Ceramic Association show and it won First Place in the Professional category.
Austin, Texas 1973-1977, University of Texas at Austin 1976-1977
My family often traveled in the U.S. and Europe because of my father's conferences and awards, and my mother dragged us--I mean took us--to the art museums in every city. Mom became a docent when we moved to Texas, around the time abstract art (the most exciting movement she had witnessed) was becoming well-established, so I grew up literate in the visual language of abstraction. Incredibly, my high school art teacher was Amado M. Pena, Jr., who was soon to become one of the most successful Mexican-American-Indian artists. He gave us students our first exhibit and showed us that you can make a living as an artist.
New York City 1977-1979, Barnard College B.A. 1979
Through more good fortune, my parents' move to New York City enabled me to study painting at Barnard College with Milton Resnick. Resnick was a first-generation abstract expressionist, close friends with Willem DeKooning and Jackson Pollock in the formative years. A true inspiration, he taught with no agenda except to help us capture the magic of the paint. He showed me that the painting's illusion of space must hold together cohesively, which is a high ideal I still strive for in every piece.
"Dennis"
Julie Bernstein
Ceramic; 2.5"H x 2"W x 3"D;
1972 at age 14
AWARD: First Place,
Ceramic Sculpture Professional category,
Iowa Ceramic Association |
"Tree"
Julie Bernstein
Oil on canvas panel;
18"H x 24"W;
1977
First oil painting with Milton Resnick at Barnard College
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"Creature of Light and Sound"
Julie Bernstein
Oil on canvas;
34"H x 36"W;
1979
SOLD: Private collection |
New York City 1979-1984
Salt Lake City, Utah 1984-1985
After graduating with my B.A. in 1979, I worked as a textile colorist in the garment district of New York City. I thought I knew color, but these co-workers trained my eye to perceive color harmony and understand color mixing on a whole new level, skills that I still use every day in my studio. Later jobs gave me experience working in a Soho gallery (I remember Jean-Michel Basquiat's graffiti), the Salt Lake Art Center, and a contemporary gallery in Salt Lake City. I had moved to Utah in 1984 craving the beauty and spaciousness of the southwest. Through the gallery I got to know Lee Deffebach, an abstract expressionist who had studied with Vaclav Vytlacil in New York City during the 1950s, and other artists whose fascinating and innovative work made it clear to me that I had more to learn. I decided to pursue my M.F.A.
"As Above, So Below"
Julie Bernstein
Oil on canvas;
54"H x 54"W;
1980
My first large-size painting
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"King"
Julie Bernstein
Oil on canvas;
60"H x 54"W;
1980
Private collection |
"Wings Across the Horizon"
Julie Bernstein
Oil on canvas; 54"H x 54"W;
1980 |
"You and I are Beginningless"
Julie Bernstein
Oil on canvas; 56"H x 46"W; 1981 |
Santa Monica and Los Angeles, California 1986-1991, M.F.A. in Art from UCLA 1989
I moved to Los Angeles and worked at the Getty Museum registrar's office and the Getty Art History Information Program (Authority Analyst) while pursuing my graduate degree in Art at the University of California, Los Angeles. I did not get accepted into the elite painting program, so instead I enrolled in Fiber, where I was still able to work with all the painting instructors. As it turned out, the UCLA Fiber program was one of the most highly respected in the world, and was fortuitously helpful for my work. My approach to painting was actually more closely related to fiber art than to conceptual art (UCLA's specialty at the time) or traditional art. Mine is an art of materials. Honoring the nature of the paint itself is my jumping-off point into beauty, expression and meaning.
"Keeper"
Julie Bernstein
Asphalt sealant, fixall, fabrics, fleece, sticks, bark, wire, acrylic on canvas;
49 1/2"H x 49 1/2"W; 1987 |
"Curtains"
Julie Bernstein
Charcoal on paper, oil on canvas, silk, wood;
32"Hx58"Wx11"D; 1988 |
"Salt Flats -- Loss"
Julie Bernstein
Fixall, stucco, dirt, acrylic,
oil on fabric and chicken wire;
34"H x 23"W x 11"D; 1988 |
MFA Thesis Exhibition,
UCLA Wight Art Gallery - Installation View
1989 |
"Tomorrow's Breakfast"
Julie Bernstein
Oil on wood, resin, eggshells, rocks in velvet, weeds in fleece;
15"H x 19"W x 13"D; 1989 |
"Survivor"
Julie Bernstein
Wood, fabric, dirt, acrylic, oil, thread, crystal; 94"H x 16"W x 16"D; 1989
AWARD: Honorable Mention Sculpture |
"Bows"
Julie Bernstein Engelmann
Gouache on paper; 33 1/2"H x 37"W; 1991
SOLD: Private collection |
"Tourist"
Julie Bernstein Engelmann
Oil on canvas; 48"H x 40"W; 1991 |
Indiana, Pennsylvania 1991-2014
After receiving my M.F.A. in 1989 and getting married in 1990, I moved with my husband to Indiana, Pennsylvania for his graduate studies. Two children and a 17-employee business later, I re-emerged into my art life in 2002. Soon I became involved in the Indiana Art Association, exhibiting locally, taking workshops, and beginning to win awards. In 2003 I started teaching community art classes through the Continuing Education department at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and other venues. For a couple years I focused on abstract landscapes, curious to learn how to create depth and drama that I could apply to pure abstraction.
"Ecstasy/Purity"
Julie Bernstein Engelmann
Oil on canvas; 36"H x 78"W; 1993
SOLD: Private collection |
"The New Crayon"
Julie Bernstein Engelmann
Oil on canvas panel; 18 1/4"H x 24 1/4"W; 1996 |
"Ancient Village"
Julie Bernstein Engelmann
Acrylic on canvas;
28"H x 22"W; 2004
AWARD: 1st Place Professional
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"Organ Pipe Cactus"
Julie Bernstein Engelmann
Acrylic collage on paper;
18"Hx24"W; 2005
AWARD: 1st Place Professional
SOLD: Private collection
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"Badlands Passage"
Julie Bernstein Engelmann
Acrylic on canvas;
38"Hx30"W; 2005
Juried into Westmoreland Museum Biennial
SOLD: Private collection
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"Lake Water"
Julie Bernstein Engelmann
Acrylic on canvas;
26"Hx36"W; 2005
AWARD: 1st Place
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"Lakeside Bloom"
Julie Bernstein Engelmann
Acrylic on canvas;
36"Hx30"W; 2005
SOLD: Collection of the Community Arts Center of Cambria County
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"Three Crimson Blooms"
Julie Bernstein Engelmann
Acrylic on canvas;
36"Hx32"W; 2006
AWARD: 1st Place Professional
SOLD: Private collection
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"Lake Grasses"
Julie Bernstein Engelmann
Acrylic on canvas;
36"Hx48"W; 2006
AWARD: 2nd Place Acrylic/Oil
SOLD: Private collection
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"Bear Grass"
Julie Bernstein Engelmann
Acrylic on canvas;
30"Hx32"W; 2007
AWARD: Honorable Mention
SOLD: Corporate collection
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Committing to Abstraction 2006
My turning point as an abstract artist came in 2006, when I won a Purchase Award from the Greater Latrobe School District Special Collection, which is selected by the students. I was aware that people loved my abstracts as much as my landscapes, but this was a wake-up call. Not only did real, regular high-school kids pick my abstract painting over my realistic ones, but this was the first abstract painting they had picked for their collection since the 1960s. In the meantime, I had discovered how to create deep space in abstract paintings. I finally decided to throw myself behind my belief that abstract painting is my gift. Mine are the abstracts that don't need theories to explain themselves to people's hearts.
"Restart"
Julie Bernstein Engelmann
Acrylic on canvas;
24"Hx18"W; 2005
PURCHASE AWARD:
Collection of Greater Latrobe School District
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"Indian Ridge"
Julie Bernstein Engelmann
Oil on canvas;
32"Hx36"W; 2006
AWARD: Best of Show
Indiana Art Association
SOLD: Private collection
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"Burn Palace"
Julie Bernstein Engelmann
Oil over acrylic on canvas;
40"Hx30"W; 2008-2012
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"Green Dot"
Julie Bernstein Engelmann
Oil over acrylic on canvas;
30"Hx24"W; 2008
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Latex and Acrylic 2008
In 2008, I switched mediums from oil to acrylic and interior latex wall paint, searching for the speed and fluidity that I needed to make freer paintings. I had participated in a Lenape Indian story-pole project at our nearby Thunder Mountain tribal grounds, where I was charged with the task of selecting the latex paint for all of the artists to use. I fell in love with the colors and fluidity, and soon was hooked.
"Flight of the Faerie Queen"
Julie Bernstein Engelmann
Acrylic, latex, charcoal on unprimed canvas;
66"Hx42"W; 2009
Collection of Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art
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"Drums of Anthazar"
Julie Bernstein Engelmann
Acrylic, latex, charcoal on unprimed canvas;
38"Hx30"W; 2009
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"Seduction Bouquet"
Julie Bernstein Engelmann
Oil, acrylic, latex on canvas;
40"Hx30"W; 2009
AWARD: Best of Show
Southwestern PA Council on the Arts
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"Saved By Flaw"
Julie Bernstein Engelmann
Oil, latex, acrylic, conte on canvas; 36"Hx40"W; 2010
AWARD: Best of Show
Indiana Art Association
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"Athena (Goddess of inner wisdom)"
Julie Bernstein Engelmann
Oil, latex, acrylic on canvas; 25"Hx25"W; 2010
AWARD: Honorable Mention
Art in Common Juried
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My technique of layering poured latex with acrylic brushwork and conte crayon continued to evolve, as did my studio into ever larger portions of our home. I began to stretch and pour paintings on a large table in the basement, then bring them up to my "easel studio" for brushwork, where I could enjoy views of woods and wildlife.
Journal Titles 2010
By 2010, I realized that I had been keeping my artwork at arm's length, and needed to integrate my spiritual quest into my artistic one. I began using phrases from my journal for titles. By starting with the title, I noticed that my artwork became the embodiment of my spiritual life. I could feel my love for divine beauty guiding my work, and, in turn, vibrating through the color and intention of my paintings. I believe this is what rings true within the souls of those who love my artwork. Color, texture and light are healing, right-brain nourishment that I need in my life and imbibe through my art, and perhaps people who are attracted to my artwork feel the same way.
"I Choose"
Julie Bernstein Engelmann
Acrylic, latex on unprimed canvas; 34"Hx44"W; 2011
AWARD of Merit
Fred Rogers Juried |
"My Golden Network of Spiritual Helpers"
Julie Bernstein Engelmann
Acrylic, latex, conte on unprimed/partially primed canvas; 34"Hx44"W; 2012
Juried into SAMA Biennial |
"Relax Into Your Answer"
Julie Bernstein Engelmann
Acrylic, latex, conte on partially primed canvas; 24"Hx30"W; 2012
SOLD: Private collection |
"Interconnected People Doing What They Love"
Julie Bernstein Engelmann
Acrylic, latex, conte on partially primed canvas; 34"Hx38"W; 2012
PURCHASE AWARD: Derry Area School District Art Collection |
"Permission Not to Worry"
Julie Bernstein Engelmann
Acrylic, latex, conte on partially primed canvas; 28"Hx24"W; 2012
SOLD: Private collection |
"I See You Having What You Want"
Julie Bernstein Engelmann
Acrylic, latex, conte on unprimed canvas; 20"Hx26"W; 2012
SOLD: Private collection |
"In Flow and Ease"
Julie Bernstein Engelmann
Acrylic and latex on unprimed canvas; 24"Hx18"W; 2013
AWARD: 1st Place Professional, Indiana Art Association |
"Freedom From Wondering If I Did Something Wrong"
Julie Bernstein Engelmann
Acrylic and latex on partially primed canvas; 30"Hx34"W; 2013
AWARD: Best of Show, Indiana County Open Arts Exhibit |
Museum Show 2013
I was honored to be featured in a solo show, Julie Bernstein Engelmann: Being Spirit, at the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art (SAMA) in Altoona, Pennsylvania, Jan-Apr 2013. This was the realization of a lifelong dream to have a museum retrospective, and the installation was breathtaking. Pictures don't adequately convey the experience of "swimming" in the vibrations of all of those paintings, but please take a Photo Tour of the show.
Lake Montezuma, Arizona 2014 to present
Having moved so often early in my life, after 23 years in green Pennsylvania I craved the pink and beige vistas of the Southwest. In August 2014 we moved to Lake Montezuma, Arizona, a small town near beautiful Sedona. My work was shown by the James Ratliff Gallery and I taught classes and workshops on the faculty of the Sedona Arts Center, moving my teaching online in 2020. I founded the Beauty & Spirit Abstract Artist Circle in 2021 to delve deeper into teaching abstract painting for a group of committed painters. My own work has evolved and strengthened through this "laboratory."
"Mission of the Masters"
Julie Bernstein Engelmann
Acrylic on canvas;
48"H x 36"W x 1.5"D; 2017
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"Shanti"
Julie Bernstein Engelmann
Acrylic on canvas;
40"H x 40"W x 1.5"D; 2020
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"Open to Angels"
Julie Bernstein Engelmann
Acrylic on canvas;
24"H x 30"W x 1.5"D
2022 |
"Open to Sharing"
Julie Bernstein Engelmann
Acrylic on canvas;
30"H x 28"W x 1.5"D; 2022
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Thank you for your interest in my continuing art story, and for your love of beauty!
Julie Bernstein Engelmann
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© 2013-2024 Julie Bernstein Engelmann
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