Life and Work with Julie Bender

Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie Bender.

Born in St. Louis, Missouri and residing in Loveland, Colorado, Julie Bender grew up with a fascination for drawing animals and has remained on that course all her life. After graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Bachelor of Science in Art Education from the University of Missouri, Columbia in 1981, her career took off as a computer artist and later as a project manager with web and software development firms until mid-2012.

In 2002, when her beloved Vizsla died at only nine years old, Bender found the only way to ease her pain was to make some deeply personal gesture of gratitude. Having no previous knowledge of wood-burning, she bought a hobby-shop wood-burner, and using a photograph as a guide, set out to burn her dog’s portrait on a cherry wood urn. It was then that Bender found her life’s calling and worked earnestly with the goal of pursuing her art as a career. Self-taught in the art of pyrography, she continually discovers innovative ways to evolve her work and seize opportunities in which to integrate this medium in the competitive world of fine art. Her career includes international sales, museum acquisitions, top gallery representation, teaching, features in major publications, invitations to major juried international exhibitions, and show and exhibition awards.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
My road is never smooth. I take risks, some calculated, some accidental, in my work everyday. If each work doesn’t show something different in how I produce it, if I haven’t learned something new in how to go about creating it, then I am not entirely happy with it. I cannot simply repeat a technique and create the “same” piece, simply to produce more work. If I did, I would feel as if I am letting myself down. And the way I feel about my work is transparent: If I don’t feel right about my work then I cannot expect someone else to.

Please tell us more about your art.
I am a wildlife artist whose primary medium is pyrography. Pyrography is all about applying varying degrees of heat to a wood or paper surface that produce monochromatic, sepia-like hues in subtle values and tones to create images. I infuse acrylic paint to enhance my images and push boundaries with each work I produce. Executing with accuracy, style and imagination is key in producing unique and evocative works of art. I often frequent Colorado’s high country, prairies, ranches and rodeos for inspiration in my art for hours and days on end in order to understand my animal subjects so that I may represent them as authentically and accurately as possible. I am proud to bring pyrography to the attention of galleries, shows, exhibitions, museums and publications and a worldwide audience. I am proud to have raised the level of this art form and to have it take its rightful place, front and center with traditional fine artists. And after having mastered this art, I am also pleased to hold workshops all over the country to teach the fine points of pyrography to those who wish to pursue it personally or professionally.

What advice would you give to someone at the start of her career?
The most important advice I share with those starting their career, any career, is simply to believe you can do it, to be steadfast and resourceful, innovative and work hard for it. Conquer your vocation with conviction and never say you cannot achieve greatness in your career and life.

Contact Info:

• Website: juliebender.com
• Email: Julie at julie@juliebender.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JulieBenderArt/

Image Credit:
Julie Bender, Karryl Salit, Cathy Sheeter, Robert Caldwell

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