Julia Tighe was raised with four sisters in an old Victorian house in New York. She uses these as inspiration for ink sketches and drawings. She combines her passions for photography and drawing to create narratives that focus on the magic of a moment. In college, she was a painter, and still is, however this past year she has focused on drawing to have more freedom with creating compositions. She hopes to turn these drawings into oil paintings later on. She has started working more directly from life by completing studies of the house she grew up in. It has allowed for more possibilities of creation because she has found that art can be made from the ordinary.

She uses reflections in her drawings as ways to play with space.  She also sees these as alternate realities. On the other side is something that can be. The choices made each day appear to be trivial, but they ultimately define a person and their future. Life changes before one realizes it. It is fascinating, and sometimes frustrating, to wonder what could be or what could have been. She is attempting to go further with the series. However, she is open to exploring new processes that will make her artwork more effective.

During her first year of college she took a month long study abroad trip to the United Kingdom, with a day spent in Wales. It is a place that she has wished to spend more time in.  She has always had an interest in the culture, architecture, and scenery in this part of the world. Though a large family and scenery of upstate New York provide endless inspiration, she is seeking to be challenged with a new environment. Since finishing undergraduate studies in 2015, she is preparing to apply for a masters program. While in the process of making new artwork during this residency, she hopes the time will help her to reflect on what will form a meaningful and cohesive body of work.

Save