Rebecca's Interview with Julie Christiansen-Dull

Author of
Art of the American West

Julie :
Thank you so much, Rebecca, for your glowing review. After doing hours and hours of research, I edited and wrote Art Of The American West with three things in mind: history, artist's background and artist's technique. I have read so many art books that only include technique and it becomes quite boring after awhile. I wanted this book to be a brief adventure into the westward movement and American history

Rebecca :
Why did you compile such a book?

Julie :
Rockport Publishers contacted Caroline Linscott, who was at that time President of Women Artists of the West to put together the book. When they discovered she really couldn't write, although a very fine artist,
they asked her if she knew someone who could write it for her. So she asked me. I'm an artist and writer and also Secretary for Women Artist of the West.

I wrote a proposal to Rockport to complete a series in the same manner: Art of the American South; Art of the American East; Art of the American North with the same historical emphasis. However, the projects are on hold. In addition, I have completed 10 children's picture books, 3 middle grade novels and am working on a fourth middle grade novel. I am contacting publishing houses at the present time.

Rebecca :
How did you compile such a book? Did you put out an advertisement?

Julie :
Compiling the book:
A. Choosing the artists:
1. I researched current magazines and books such as Art of the West, Southwest Art, Equine Images, Wildlife Art, etc. for quality artists
2. From our joint associations with many artists through our contacts at juried exhibitions throughout the country.
B. The process with the publisher:
l. I typed a list of 450 artists, with their mailing addresses and sent it to Rockport Publishers.
2. Rockport sent a prospectus to the artists with a two month deadline.
3. The Prospectus required 3 quality slides, brief bio, inspiration for the subject painted, media and technique.
4. No fee was charged to the artists.
5. The completed prospectus was returned to Caroline and myself with SASE for the return of the slides and/or transparencies.
C. Our final choices:
1. Caroline and I met to choose from the 200 responses we received.
2. We chose on quality, historical value, variety of media and subject matter
3. I wrote letters of acceptance and/or non-acceptance to the artists. We did not put out any advertisements.

Rebecca :
How long from concept to completion? Are all the artists residents or are some of them itinerant?

Julie :
Caroline and I signed the contracts in November, I believe. I started the research the day after Christmas for the list of artists. The prospectus came back in February. After our 120 choices were made. I started the writing and editing. My deadline was April 1. I worked some days up to 16 hours a day. Most of the artists live at one location within the United States except for one Canadian, one Chinese and one Peruvian.

Rebecca :
Where was the best places to find the artists - did you ever see them actually sketching at Rendezvous & PowWows? Where did you have to go to get the artists & copies of their works?

Julie :
Each artist signed a grant of permission to use their work via transparency or slide in the publication. Finding the artists: Publications, Art Exhibits, Rendezvous. I have exhibited in Laguna Beach for four years, exhibited at the Wyoming Pinedale Rendezvous; Taos, New Mexico; Biloxi, Mississippi; Springfield, Missouri; Deer Lodge, Montana; Prescott, Arizona and numerous exhibits and museums in California where I have met an abundance of quality artists. I have sketched and painted outdoors with a variety of artists.

Rebecca :
What are your criteria for a painting that moves you?

Julie :
I am a watercolorist and I have been painting for 20 years and exhibiting professionally for 8 years. I am always enchanted by light and shadow and the way the color juxtaposes against it's complimentary color. The color opposition sets up a contrast that makes the painting sing.

I am also drawn to subject matters that evoke a deep feeling or suggest the spiritual journey of Man. I love pathways or a single human being in a thoughtful mode. Early dawn or sunset calm on the horizon or thundering storms bring excitement to my creative energies. My great interest in history leads me to research historical people and places at living history museums throughout the country where I take numerous photographs on our summer vacations and later paint them. I do not limit my subject matters. People, landscape, flowers and natural subjects, still life's (especially antique Americana) all give me an unlimited pallet to choose from.

Rebecca :
For someone who has yearned to pick up a brush or stick of charcoal & put the images they see on canvas - what encouragement you would give?

Julie :
Listen to your heart. Don't ever give up. Practice makes perfect and never compare yourself. Take lots of workshops, learn the skills and techniques but always paint from your inner spirit.

Rebecca :
Tell me about yourself.

Julie :
I was a creative child, but not necessarily an artist in the practical sense. I imagined faraway places and fantasy adventures, mainly to try escape from my abusive childhood. One time I even imagined I was the lost Russian Princess, Anastasia, adopted or reincarnated, because my birthday is May Day. My favorite movie was Wizard of Oz. I wanted to go to a fantasy place like OZ and be with the Good Fairy and the Munchkins. In fact I still have tornado dreams when I sleep.

At age, seven I put on neighborhood shows; created the scenery, costumes and acts. I tap danced, did pirouettes and acrobatics. I sang and played the piano, then sold lemonade to finance my little adventure. I designed doll clothes and taught myself how to sew at age ten on an old singer pedal sewing machine. I was always creating some kind of artsy project. First, I wanted to be an Olympic ice skating star like Sonje Henje, but that was kind of difficult being a native born Californian. Then, I wanted to be a hairdresser, dress designer, then an actress. I was highly involved in the theatre program in highschool and college. When I was a senior in High School I was judged Junior Miss of Garden Grove,
mainly for my acting performance in a monologue from Our Town.

When I visited my maternal grandmother's house in Menlo Park, California I admired the beautiful art of my great uncle, Frank Tenney Johnson. I was inspired by the spiritual beauty of his western art. I heard stories about him traveling around the west to cattle ranches and even being accepted as an honorary member of a Blackfoot Indian Tribe in Montana. I heard stories of my other creative relatives, Frances Scott Key who wrote the Star Spangled Banner and Stephen Foster who wrote many songs of the South. I even heard I was related to an errant pirate in Louisiana who had a lost hidden treasure. (Maybe good food for another children's mystery treasure story)

Rebecca :
Wow, Julie - I found a marvelous coffee table book of your Great Uncle Frank Tenney Johnson's portfolio edited by Harold McMcCracken, Western Paintings & was magically impressed. I have reviewed that book too - it's my Spotlite this time.

Julie :
So my imagination soared while the chaos at home continued. At age twelve when I visited my Norwegian first generation paternal grandparents on their dairy farm in Everett, Washington where I learned Norwegian Rosemaling, Hallingdall and Hardinger embroidery and crocheting from homespun yarn from their sheared sheep. I listened to Norwegian folksiness my grandmother wrote and played both on her piano and my grandfather's Hardingfele (Norwegian fiddle.) I learned to schottische to their folk dances and was mesmerized by the many myths and folk tales of gnomes, nisses (elves) and mysterious water sprites.

Although my childhood was scarred by my mother and stepfather, I journeyed into many rich creative experiences. I completed a Bachelors of Arts in Theatre with a specialization in Children's Literature and Puppetry at California University at Long Beach. Thereafter, I earned an Elementary Teaching Credential and taught school for two years.

Meanwhile, I was working at Disneyland in Fantasyland where I met my husband, also an employee. On our first date, he took me to Hollywood to see Sound of Music. We were married six months later, survived the army and the Vietnam War, put ourselves through the rest of college and settled down in Capistrano, California, where Ron taught Industrial Arts at a nearby High School.

There, I birthed two daughters, Amy and Jenny. During their childhood my creativity continued in sewing, crafts, room decoration, directing plays, designing and making costumes and scenery for their classes; all those things young mothers do. Later, I even earned the Macey Award for set design for Pajama Game for my daughter's Junior High School play. When we had a money crunch I taught preschool at our local church where my children could be close to me at the same preschool.

Five years later, much to my husband's disapproval, I announced I was quitting teaching. I was going to take writing and art classes. I was 35 at the time. One day I had an overwhelming inspiration to do this “odd” thing. As compensation to our budget I taught swimming lessons in our backyard pool in the summer and took writing and painting classes the rest of the year. Much to my husband's amazement I earned more money teaching swimming in four months than I could ever make teaching preschool in a whole year.

Our lives were going along pretty well. Our daughters were exceptional students and admirable human beings in high school. We had celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary and I had just turned 46 when, I suffered a stroke. I had an infarction that momentarily cut off the blood supply in my speech center. I could only say two words, “ok” and “really,” couldn't write or paint and the nerve damage in my left ear has left me with a permanent hearing loss and a constant humming. Thank goodness I have a fabulous right ear.

Although my shoulders were frozen for awhile my mobility came back. After ten days in the hospital and a year of speech therapy I was almost back to normal. But I could no longer teach swimming lessons due to insurance complications and the undue risk to the children. So what was I going to do now?

I mustered up enough courage to enter a few of my paintings in a local art exhibit. After nearly dying, my attitude and self-consciousness had melted away. I figured what did I have to loose. I felt pretty lucky to be alive, so what the heck take the risk! Much to my surprise I earned Second Place in my first art show where I met Caroline. She asked me to be a member of a local artists' gallery and invited me to jury for Art-a-Fair, Laguna Beach. And I was accepted. Then I was juried into the national organization, Women Artists of the West, where I have since been elected Secretary.

Everything was getting back to normal, when in the summer of 1994 I suffered a heart attack. After spending another ten days in the hospital, during which time the doctors discovered I had no plaque anywhere in my body, but I did have a small hole (PFO) between the left and right side of my heart valves, but that couldn't have caused the heart attack. I was so grateful they decided not to open up my chest and do open-heart surgery, but put me on medication instead. The present theory for my stroke and heart attack is vasospasms, sporadic constricting of the arteries. So I volunteered at UCLA Medical Center and San Diego University for Research projects for this rare (one in one million) cause for heart attacks and strokes. One of my discoveries for this rare occurrence was that highly artistic people suffer from it. Oddly enough, through all of the fear and confusion, I was pleased and confident to know I had “highly artistic” genes.

After praying a lot, babying myself again, I grew tired of just resting and being a couch potato, so I painted and entered shows, wrote and edited, (although the words still don't come as easily), walk three miles a day, travel and babysit my granddaughters. Maybe I'm living on borrowed time, but I want to live as fully as I can for how many years I have left.

I'm now a grandmother of five granddaughters who bring such joy into my life every day. I have written a beautiful book which is a miracle in itself that has been successfully published. I have won many painting and writing awards and this summer I was honored to be chosen as one of the National Park Art Ambassadors at the Montana Artist's Gathering held at the Grant Kohrs National Historic Site. I continue to enjoy my life and strengthen my spiritual depth. I feel totally blessed to be alive and able to give so much back.

Rebecca :
My Dear Julie, what a bouquet you have offered us, thank you. What an amazing path you have walked. Swimming lessons paying more than teaching? Artistic genes & the heart? I can buy that - my aunt was Mary Norton of The Borrowers collection & she'd try out her stories on us kids. She was a bit of a driven woman & died “quite” young. Tell me about Caroline Linscott.

Julie :
About Caroline. This won't be as inclusive and I don't know how much she would want me to make public. Part Scotch and a little Cherokee, she grew up in Missouri where she attended college for two years, then married, had two daughters, divorced and emigrated to California where she met her current husband and had a daughter and son. She lived in Sedona, Arizona for a while where she continually painted in watercolors. In Laguna beach she served on the Board at Art-a-Fair, then juried into the Festival of Arts for two years. In San Juan Capistrano she organized the Artistas Gallery which was first housed at Marbella Plaza then on the National Historic Street, Los Rios where she bought and refurbished Chief Lobo's 1920's board and batten house. She ran an art gallery there for four years until she sold it and moved to Escondido where she runs another gallery, Lady Linscotts. She served as President for Women Artists of the West for two years where she made great strides for our organization in national recognition. And of course she helped with Art of the American West. She loves to paint flowers and still lifes. She has won many awards, of which I don't have specific details.

Rebecca :
Where are you headed now?

Julie :
To publish my children's picture books (too numerous to list them all)
Do the illustrations for Crazy Quilt
Re-edit and illustrate The Great Gumball Disaster; (won Pen Women Award)
To publish my children's middle-grade novels: The Treasure of San Juan Capistrano and Enchanted Seashell
To finish my current book Blackberry Summer
Research the sequels to Treasure and BlackBerry Summer
To finish my current painting
To paint for the WAOW March Show in Tubac, Arizona
To send transparencies for Northlight's Splash 7 (I have already been published in Splash 6)
Do my Christmas card painting and write a poem
****There's never enough time!!!

Rebecca :
Dear Julie Christiansen-Dull, thank you for a wonderful Interview, I wish you well with your To Do list!

Readers - do visit Julie's fabulous website where you can see a sampling of her varied & enchanting paintings. I especially liked her GARDEN POTS, her RASPBERRY SUNDAE PEONY & her SEDONA TOWERS: www.waow.org/members/jdul.htm

Do check out my review of Art of the American West.

Rebecca
(Published November 12, 2000)