Meet Julie Leidel

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

Julie, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I have been painting for more than 30 years, but it was only when I discovered the Arts & Crafts Movement (1880-1920) that I truly found my artistic voice. The Arts & Crafts style has been a muse on my shoulder as I evoke the feeling of yesteryear through my artwork. I’ve been a full time artist for eight years now, and I have two main collections or bodies or work. My Colorado Gouache Series, and my Arts & Crafts Series. The unifying factor within all of my art is that I strive to leave space for your own memories to take root.

In 2016 I was accepted as a Roycroft Renaissance Artisan (the only one in Colorado) where I carry on the century old traditions and values set forth by Elbert Hubbard and The Roycrofters from East Aurora, NY. Our artisan guild focuses on creating heirloom quality artwork with head, heart, and hand. There are about 70 Roycroft Artisans around the nation, and each year to become (or keep the status of) a Roycroft Renaissance Artisan, we submit our work to a jury comprised of Master Roycroft Artisans. Only artisans who exemplified the following criteria are awarded the use of the Roycroft Renaissance (RR) Mark: High quality hand-craftsmanship, excellence in design, continuing artistic growth, originality of expression, and professional recognition.

I look for the deeper meaning behind sacred places, and how we connect with the land, and with each other. I want to help bring balance to people’s lives through art. Simply put, I want my artistic expression to be a reminder to seek out genuine human connection and true closeness to nature (and the divine) while focusing on the present moment.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Well, I remember hearing a quote when I was in high school that has stuck with me. “It’s not about the fall, it’s about the BOUNCE.” We all fall as we hit those bumps in the road, but it’s really about believing in ourselves: we can get back up, and not just hobble back to our feet, but bounce upward with resilience and new ideas to propel us forward. If we employ the right mindset. That’s how I look at my art career, every day.

My first art show was 1,000 miles away from home, and it was a goose egg. No one bought my art. I remember feeling sad for about 15 minutes, then I just started to brain storm with my husband on the long drive home about all the ways I could innovate and make my artistic career stick. Never did I doubt I was on the right road. I knew in my heart of hearts that there was no other path for me. I knew that every art show to follow would be better than the first.

As I’ve grown my business over the last 8 years, I have encountered many new roadblocks along the way. Wearing all the hats that come with being an entrepreneur can be difficult, and my transition time between hats needs to be quicker. The struggle I face currently is that I need help. I’ve grown so much over the past two to three years that I need to learn to delegate some business tasks as I create a team so that I can keep my focus on creating new art, and those parts of my business that bring me the most joy like connecting with my collectors.

Please tell us about your art.
My artwork is about connection. I want to connect not only with the land and nature but also with the people that live here in Colorado. The vast beauty and variety of the Colorado landscape is a wealth spring of inspiration for me. I joke with my clients that I’ll never run out of ideas for paintings, but it’s true. From our farmlands and meadows to our mountain streams and 14er summits, there’s enough beauty in our state to keep me more than busy for the rest of my life.

I was very inspired by the American WPA era National Parks serigraph posters from the 1930’s & 40’s. They captured not only the natural beauty of the parks but a nostalgic feeling that makes your memory of a place tingle with excitement. Poster art the world over from the 1860’s to the 1940’s has been like catnip to me, with a heavy influence from the British and American Art & Crafts Movements (1880’s -1920’s) as well as the Art Nouveau movements notably in France, Germany, and Austria.

What sets me apart from other artists is that the Arts & Crafts Movement is truly at the heart of everything I create artistically. This social, philosophical, and artistic movement started with John Ruskin and William Morris in England as a stance against the industrial revolution. They believed in getting back to simplicity and integrity in craftsmanship and bringing high quality furniture, architecture, and decorative arts to every family’s living space. This work was continued in America at the turn-of-the-century with people like Elbert Hubbard and the Roycrofters, Gustav Stickley, Greene & Greene brothers, Louis Comfort Tiffany, and Artus Van Briggle to only name a few. To me, the Arts & Crafts Movement grew out of a need to reconnect man with nature. Over 100 years later, this thirst exists on an even larger scale today. I strive to bring my head, heart, and hand together to create these artistic connections.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I have many memories of creative freedom. My mom always had art supplies around our home and I always felt they were fully accessible to me. I loved all types of visual expression, and I remember when I was about 11, I drew a picture of a dog. It was the first time I thought I could be an artist. I looked at my work, and felt for the first time, that hum of passion, that tingle of knowing. I could feel the hyper focus of zeroing in on something that I knew would bring me life long joy and growth.

Pricing:

• Over 70 Colorado paintings in print sizes ranging in price from $35 – $450
• Over 55 Arts & Crafts inspired paintings in print sizes ranging in price from $35 – $450
• Custom paintings in both gouache and acrylic

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thebungalowcraft.com
• Phone: 303.263.8577
• Email: julieleidel@thebungalowcraft.com
• Instagram: thebungalowcraft_julieleidel
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBungalowCraft

 
Image Credit:
Julie Leidel

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