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Life and Work with Julia Rymer

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Julia Rymer.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Julia. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I am an artist, art educator, and entrepreneur based in the Denver Metro area. I began drawing and painting as a tween, which led me to major in art at the University of Denver, where I studied under some great painters and printmakers. I loved the academic community at DU and wanted to continue in it, so I decided that someday, I would be a professor as well. That was my goal for a long time.

After college, I worked as the gallery administrator for one of the biggest commercial galleries in Denver and really saw how art functioned from the business side. I enjoyed sales and marketing and met some amazing artists during my time with the gallery, but deep down, I wanted to be a working artist and a professor. In 2002, I applied for and was accepted into Pratt Institute’s MFA program in New York, where I studied painting and immersed myself in the New York art scene. It was a life-changing experience, but I had opportunities to teach in Denver, so after earning my MFA, I returned to Denver to teach art and design at a number of colleges, eventually teaching painting at Regis University and painting, design and color theory at the Metropolitan State University of Denver. I was a Visiting Professor of Foundation Art at Metro for four years.

And then everything changed. In 2009, with the Great Recession starting to affect Denver, my husband, who is in technology consulting, accepted a transfer to the San Francisco Bay Area. As much as I did not want to leave Colorado again, I knew this would be a good move for his career. What I did not realize was how much I would learn and grow as well.

Being in the San Francisco Bay Area immersed me in what I like to call “startup culture.” There is such an entrepreneurial spirit there, and I started learning from and with other small business owners and entrepreneurs. My entire mindset shifted, and I began to see my art as a business. I learned about social media, web design, getting your artwork out there and in front of collectors. I reached out to the company Serena & Lily, a lifestyle brand, about representing my work, and began selling online through their site. I also started working with galleries and art consultants throughout California, curating shows and building my name as an artist.

My husband and I decided to move back to Colorado in 2016, as he had taken on a more Western regional role, and we now had two young kids and wanted to be closer to family. I took all that I had learned in California about running an art business and started building my name here in Denver and beyond. It has been an incredible journey (though not without its ups and downs), and I am proud to say that my career has grown in many ways. In the past year, I have been in shows across the country, including a solo show in Kansas City, MO, and now have work in multiple corporate and museum collections.

Moving back to Denver allowed me the opportunity to start teaching again. I was the artist-in-residence at the Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus in Winter 2019, and am a faculty member at the Curtis Center for the Arts in Greenwood Village.

In 2018, I also co-founded a company called artboss with my friend and fellow creative, Jessica Loving-Campos. We provide education and coaching for creatives looking to build their businesses and careers. We have been invited to universities and colleges across Colorado to speak about how to build a creative business, and also host one-day special workshops and offer coaching services.

I wear a lot of hats, but it allows me to pursue multiple passions: art, education, and entrepreneurship.

Has it been a smooth road? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way? Any advice for other women, particularly young women who are just starting their journey?
The creative journey is not linear, it is labyrinthine. That just means there is no direct point from a to b; getting to a goal is often difficult. I think the hardest part is that I have had lots and lots (and lots) of rejections and no’s over the years. When I get a yes — someone buys a painting, or a class fills, or I am selected for a show — I am THRILLED.

I try to stay positive and celebrate my wins, learn from my mistakes and move on quickly from the bad stuff that happens.

My advice is to go where the energy feels like it is heading. Trust your instincts. Don’t work with people that you get a bad feeling about. Set boundaries as needed — it is OK to say no to stuff that doesn’t seem right, like giving your work away for free. Value yourself, value your work. At the same time, take risks. Try new things, and never, ever be afraid to reach out to someone or a company you’d like to work with. Be bold!

We’d love to learn more about your work. What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of as a brand, organization or service provider? What sets you apart from others?
I’ll break this down into the three things I specialize in: art, art education, and entrepreneurship.

I create abstract art that explores my emotional relationship with the natural world through mark, form, and color. I focus on mixed media and oil paintings on canvas and paper but am also in the process of learning about fiber art. My work is part of corporate, museum and residential collections across the US.

As an art educator, I work with both children and adults, teaching a variety of painting, drawing, mixed media color and design classes with a process-oriented approach. I like to show students how to use the materials or the concepts in their work, and then let them explore and experiment.

Artboss provides education and coaching services to creatives looking to build their businesses and careers. We work with creatives of all stripes – visual artists, designers, photographers, writers, performing artists – to show them how to leverage marketing, branding, social media, web presence and networking for success. We host workshops and networking events, work one-on-one with clients, and give guest lectures at colleges.

Were there people and/or experiences you had in your childhood that you feel laid the foundation for your success?
As a Colorado native, I grew up immersed in nature, exploring the prairies and mountains of this gorgeous state throughout my childhood. My interest in art was piqued in middle and high school, and I was encouraged by great teachers as well as my grandmother and my father to continue my exploration.

My family values education, especially attending college. My parents used to say, “You can major in whatever you want, but you have to go to college.” My time at the University of Denver was life-changing and affirmed my love of art and education; it was really there that I honed my skills, made connections for the future, and set my life goals.

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Image Credit:
Images are courtesy of Curtis Tucker Photography, Rebecca Hoskins Photography, Andrew Han of the Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus, and Julia Rymer

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