Julie Bowers Murphy Studio Tour
While artist Julie Bowers Murphy and I were staging and photographing her “The World’s Behind You” collection in her beautiful home this past fall, we carved out a little time to take photos of Julie’s charming studio as well. Her playful, eclectic style carries through to her third floor studio space that, in addition to housing her in-process paintings, is also “filled with a collection of little beads, buttons, curiosities, and books.” Charming vignettes abound in her space, as well as throughout the entire home, and it’s easy to spot various items that have inspired a painting or a series of work from Julie in the past. It was incredible to be fully immersed in Julie’s world for a day and feel as though I was almost living in one of her paintings.
Scroll down for more from Julie on her studio space and plenty of photos of her and her sweet Norwich Terrier, Pretzel.
Julie, on her studio + interiors aesthetic:
”Our house was constructed from a circa 1790’s barn. The barn was taken apart and reassembled to form two barns which allowed for modern conveniences like insulation and heating. My studio is at the top of the one of the two barns - a small loft that sits above a narrow set of spiral stairs. I feel like I am climbing up to a crow’s nest on a ship when I go up there.
What I love about my studio is the natural light - windows on either end and skylights above provide beautiful natural light and a view of rooftops below and glimpses of the harbor in winter. It’s a magical space but getting big canvases up there can be tricky.
I feel productive whenever I am in my studio - it is filled with collections of little beads, buttons, curiosities and books. Often I listen to music when I work - I love music, all different types - from jazz, to post-punk, indie, electronic, world music, classical, etc.
As far as interiors aesthetic, I love an eclectic mix of vintage finds, natural palettes and a mix of textures- wood with patina, concrete, woven pieces, worn leather chairs - anything that tells a story. I love collecting art - we have a large gallery wall with work from our kids, other artist friends, and many artists we admire mixed in with some flea market finds.”
- Julie Bowers Murphy
“Red Canoe,” the title painting for Julie’s most recent collection is placed on one of her zinc-topped work spaces.
On the right is a work by NC-based artist, Clyde Jones, whose work Julie knew from her days as a student at UNC-Chapel Hill.
On the left is a painting from Julie’s Park Life series. The goose right next to it reminds me of one of my personal favorite JBM paintings - Seven Gents and a Goose.
On the left: Julie’s Portrait of a Woodsman Who May (or May Not) Resemble LL Bean and Early Morning, Deer Isle, on display in her home. On the right: a snoozing Pretzel, worn out from an exhausting day in front of the camera.
A big thank you to Julie and her family for opening their home to me for this studio tour! Be sure to follow along with Julie on Instagram to see more from her latest work and what inspires her paintings.
