About Julie
A Bachelor of Fine Arts from the College of Creative Studies in Detroit. Julie Tibus has been professionally selling and showcasing her work for over 15 years. She is invited to teach master workshops at various art centers in Michigan and Florida. Julie possesses an insatiable curiosity that drives her to explore emerging mediums with a desire to discover new techniques. Her work is inspired by the intersection of nature and her own bold expression of it. This commitment to working in multiple mediums has led to a diverse body of mixed-media work, utilizing collage, acrylic, cold wax and oil, graphite and more.
Julie’s mixed-media collage starts with freely sketching and color-mixing to find a design and palette that inspires. Using these, she moves into making exciting mono-print papers with various hand-made stencils, patterns, and expressive marks. Intuitively starting the piece, a theme and a story will reveal itself: The Denmark Bridge, Summer On The Pier, and Natural Succession are just a few of the titles. Finishing each artwork involves multiple layers and various mediums, including oil pastels, graphite, pastels, India ink, cold wax, and acrylic paint.
My art is centered on organic forms and abstracted landscapes. Initially working intuitively, I embrace colorful underpainting and add handmade collage papers. I start with a loose thought (floral, landscape, color, pattern, shapes) and then move through the work, driven by an internal desire to free myself from laboring, allowing myself to get entirely lost in the process. After stepping back and observing the initial stages of free painting, I begin to see something. This is where I refine and define, focusing on composition, variety, value, focus, and feeling. I will add other mediums to the experiment- Cold wax, Oil paint, and Pastels.
We are all creative, and through art, we can learn to overcome the fear of comparison, the unknown, and the harsh expectations we impose on ourselves. It is the best therapy I have found to center myself and find inner peace.
I always hope my work offers viewers intrigue, connection, and contemplation.2025 Unusual Landscape Exhibit - by invitation, Oliver Art Center, Frankfort, MI
2023 Honorable Mention - Northville Art in the Sun