In the captivating oil painting titled "Robin," a distinctive style takes center stage, featuring a robin perched on a stylized branch within a tree. The artist employs a bold and interpretive approach, where intricately detailed elements yield to more generalized brushstrokes, creating a dynamic play of form and color. The robin, though stylized, radiates character as it occupies its branch in a vibrant dance of expression.
The tree itself is a testament to the artist's unique approach, with stylized leaves and branches merging into a harmonious composition. The use of broad brushstrokes adds a sense of movement and energy to the overall scene, allowing viewers to appreciate the essence of the robin's presence in a more interpretive and emotionally evocative manner. "Robin" becomes a visual symphony where the stylized meets the representational, inviting observers to explore the beauty of nature through the lens of expressive and dynamic strokes.
Robin
40 x 40cm
Julie Tugwell
I was raised to appreciate the arts by attending ballet performances and dancing at PACT in Pretoria as a young child. Many afternoons were spent visiting art galleries with my mom and it was her dream for me to pursue being an artist like my father, the renowned landscape painter Chris Tugwell. It took some time for me to start painting, and only after the passing of my mom in my mid-twenties did I reach for a brush in an attempt to connect with her. I soon realized that I wanted to succeed at art and chose to dedicate my life to being a full time artist.
A chance meeting with accomplished fine artist James Mooney led to my apprenticeship in his studio for the next 16 years where I learned from his mastery of the skills and techniques of hyper-realism. Whilst James trained me in the discipline of fine art realism, it was Jill Mooney, Jame’s wife, who introduced me to the world of colour and liberated my brush to become deeply self expressive. This signature of their combined tutelage is evident in the abstractions, flowers and colourful figures prevalent in my current body of work.
My days are now mostly spent in the studio where I work as a full-time artist on both large expressive canvases of colour and also smaller pieces of hyper realism.
