Hello, and I'm glad you're here. My passion is art. I help people discover the joy of a rich creative life, starting now. Whether you're a fellow creator, a collector or new to the world of art, welcome to my wonderful world!
"Every November day is a gentle reminder to pause." Also November's free "Art Backstage" from my art journal
November!Made of wet boots and rain
And shiny black ravens
On chimney smoke lanes
~Tom Waits, "November"
But lest we go dark with the moon, there are many comforts in November, besides dreaming of April. All the good winter holidays are still to come! Winter fragrances like pine and cedar and cinnamon and ginger will start to fill the air. Celebrations will happen. Expectations build. New ideas will form. I always think of November as the time for dreaming, for reflection and evaluations. Not for regrets. Those must be washed and put away or recycled. Or burned or tossed in the trash to make room for the good things yet to come in our lives. Sort of fall house-cleaning, as it were. Eugene Mayor's Art Show 2026I'm delighted and honored to have been selected for the Eugene Mayor's Art Show for early 2026! There will be more press and details later, but you, my loyal readers are the first to get this news. The show is moving back to its original home in the Jacobs Room in the Hult Center for the Performing Arts this year. I suspect it will be an exciting show this year. I can't wait to see it! New Class - Color in Painting: Master Your ColorIf you missed November's class, I have a new class starting January 10, 2026. Limited to 7 seats, so register early! Art Print Club Is GrowingThanks to all who've signed up for my Art Print Club! The first delivery is in production, and will be on its way to you soon. I'm making a few extras, so it's not too late to sign up now to get in on this month's mailing!
Art Print Club is a little piece of beauty and a moment of reflection in your mailbox every month. It's tiny art crafted with care and meant to be shared, gifted, displayed, or simply enjoyed. You'll receive a beautiful signed art card featuring my select artwork, and a letter from me, even a fun art sticker. Delivered from my studio to your door each month for $7. Pages from my art journals as high-resolution, printable (300dpi) image files for you to download and collect. You can print them or color on them, give them out as gifts, or use them as notecards. Decorate your device or your screensaver. Or collect a handful of them over time and use them for screensavers. This month's offering for you: Click the title to download for your collection: Journal_Teacups and Titles.jpg The reading list Even though I rearrange my book piles as I engage with (and dust) each printed treasure, they rarely grow smaller. I'm quite attached to them, like old friends always ready for a quiet conversation. Warmly wishing you the very best of the rolling days of November. Julia Email: julia@juliaoreilly.com Know someone who might enjoy this newsletter and Art Backstage? Forward this email, or send them this link: https://juliaoreillyart.kit.com/artbackstage And thanks for helping me spread the word and grow my art business! |
Julia O'Reilly Art
Hello, and I'm glad you're here. My passion is art. I help people discover the joy of a rich creative life, starting now. Whether you're a fellow creator, a collector or new to the world of art, welcome to my wonderful world!
Greetings from the last lingering days of summer, at least for those of us in the northern hemisphere. Working Steadily My time in the studio is more often about a steady rhythm of work than spectacular achievement. That's how my summer has gone, for sure. I have a dozen paintings in the works and more events on the horizon, though my focus has been on maintaining calm forward momentum. Works in progress I'm still excited to work with material I gathered from my painting adventure to the...
New Paintings In progress! Some days all you do is push paint around. There are days in the studio when it feels like nothing is happening. A brushstroke gets painted over. A color is adjusted by the smallest degree. Hours pass, and the painting doesn't seem much different than when I started. But I've learned that this is part of the work. Not every session brings a breakthrough. Making a painting rarely comes with a roadmap. Most days, I simply show up, pay attention, and trust that the...
Art is so much more than just a picture. With many disturbing challenges in our world right now, it's a relief to come back to art-making. I let it wrap around me. Foremost is the calm that comes from sinking into the act of painting. It empties my mind of everything else. A mental and emotional mini-vacation. Looking at someone else's art works too. I get to experience wonder and awe, maybe joy, maybe shock, maybe transformation. Not all art has to soothe and beautify. Sometimes art is...