In Conversation with Julie Kimpton
Hi there, I’m Julie. Snr. Professional Markets manager at Nikon Australia. Change channels, and I’m a self-taught Art Gal, who loves to paint, draw, photograph, and immerse myself in the creative. Mum and dad said art is a hobby and not a career. Well, I disagree. Art and Photography is my career, and I love it. Whilst Photography documents life, its subjects, and precious moments in it. My Paintings are splashes of my imagination blended with real elements of life. My art can be vibrant and bold, thick, and textured or whimsical and flowing. The two mediums complement each other as I often capture an image on camera and then paint it later. I love creating and sharing beautiful pieces of Art and, putting it out there….. am working towards an online store that will showcase beautiful gifts, fine art prints and homewares.
How did you get into painting – was it by accident or design?
Mum always loved art history & encouraged my creativity. She framed my first ever painting which was of little people going down a drain. As a kid I loved flowers, building leggo houses, doodling, drawing, ceramics, pencils, textas and paint, really anything I could get my hands on. Dad held regular family slide nights on the laundry door that started my love of photography and he was a great photographer himself. Dad discovered that I was a very messy painter, still am, and quickly donated his overalls to save the floor and furniture, which I still wear to this day. I have a studio at home with lots of light and a window to the garden. It is my happy place, and whenever I am not travelling and have time, that’s where you will find me. Painting is an absolute joy, it is peaceful and very personal.
In your opinion, what’s the best work you’ve done?
I hope I have done it yet. However, holding my first exhibition in 25 years just recently was a pretty big deal. It meant putting myself and my work out there and sharing a fairly unknown side of me to the wider world. A daunting and also a truly incredible experience.
So far, what’s been the biggest challenge of your career, is it working full time for Nikon and painting on the side perhaps?
Without doubt the biggest challenge is achieving a balance in my life. Finding a balance between my work commitments and travel at Nikon, and my home life and passion being my Art, family & friends. Achieving a good balance is a work in progress, made more important after getting the taste of balance during the covid lockdowns. The other challenge I have is time. Working full time and travelling extensively means I don’t have enough time to do everything myself. I have had to accept that some tasks like building a dedicated website will need to be outsourced.
Name one person you’ve truly admired that has inspired your art.
Cherie Ceberano. Cherie started an online social painting class with her aqua ladies during covid. My Aunt is an Aqua lady but had too many commitments to join herself, so hand balled her place to me. Every Friday for 1 hour on Zoom, we would paint together, learn some tips, laugh and hear the most incredible stories of her famous and fabulous family, their travels and adventures. Cherie generously shared her knowledge, enthusiasm, and time. And occasionally, we would get together for a soire to end all soire’s. From presentations by famous painters & authors to an in person concert with Kate Ceberano. Cherie reignited my love of painting and her class meant I blocked out a dedicated time each week to create. Sometimes the paintings were terrible like the attempt to paint a beautiful women that ended up looking like an androgynous Angelina Jolie, sometimes on a good day they would be fabulous – like the golden pears and the homage to Russell Drysdale’ Shopping day. My advice is to find yourself a Cherie. Surround yourself with likeminded, kind & supportive friends and colleagues who share your passion. People who love creating, will critique your work, that you can share and collaborate and at the end of the day enjoy a bubbly, laugh and plan what you will create next.
Is there anything you wish you’d done differently?
If I could turn back time, I would take one day off every month during the week just for me, to slow down, dream, smell the roses, turn up the tunes, photograph, paint and create. Simply, I would make more time for the things I love. Let’s start now.
Share it around…
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
