Author: tjtoffolo
Julie Toffolo is an Australian born artist and lives in Melbourne Victoria. Her art is in private collections around Australia.
She has two teenage boys, works part time as an Education Art Assistant at a Secondary Girls School and paints on her days off in her leafy Eltham Studio.
Julie works in illustration in a nostalgic vintage style and loves to paint from the nature around her bushy local environment and wherever she can find any form of nature on her travels. She is captivated by how the light flickers and dances when working from still life or outdoors.
Having studied traditional painting methods under Jenni Mitchell and Mervynn Hannan from Eltham South Fine Art Studios and Gallery has taught Julie many elements of drawing, composition, colour, painting, trying new materials, beautifying the simple things around us.
Julie has been a member of local artist co ops and exhibits throughout the year.
You can follow Julie on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn to watch and support her art practise.
My cosy workspace
www.instagram.com/p/CEladVcjmPg/
I wondered how I would cope after moving house and not having a studio anymore. But it’s nothing to worry about as an artist can make and create even on their knee. Fortunately I have enough room on my adored French mid 1800’s table for a small illustration or a finished painting using my table top easle. I’m cosy and happy. đŸ™‚
Walks around the neighbourhood
We are tending to take more notice on our one hour of exercise a day structure in Melbourne for now.
I keep finding treasure in the many gardens and such adorable little and biggish homes I pass. Homes that must be filled with a vast array of stories that could fill a book. I think these little homes and gardens are exuding warmth, cosy and love in buckets; I feel it as I pass by.
I’ve picked flowers (trying to be discreet) from these blooming gardens and have started the process of pressing them in many old books.
What joy I am making with my miniature artworks and pressed flowers that eventually will be selected so methodically with my tiny tweezers to frame with this little series of local home studies. You may recognize your beautiful home over this series.
I will let you know when these are in my shop for a piece of history you may collect. x
Flower Pressing on my early Friday’s
I would normally find myself on my early Friday’s sitting to scribble and sketch, mainly to keep my eye/hand in. I like to sketch quickly and mostly from my surrounds (not a photo) on these afternoons. But today I have been playing with the old age tradition of pressing flowers. Oh I have some fab ideas with this traditional craft.
http://grimsdyke.com/pressing-flowers-quintessential-victorian-pastime/
So on my walk yesterday I picked some flowers and I’ve started trying this age old technique myself and I think I will combine them with my miniature art gouache paintings.
It also would be so cool if you can follow me and join my email list to stay connected and I will share more of my world, work and any current collections I am working on with you.
My pickings…
Vincent VanGogh and the Seasons
My fascination with the work and life of Vincent Van Gogh makes pure sense to me and even more so after watching this video from the National Gallery of Victoria.
The way he links his art with the seasons in nature resonates with so many of us artists; that is often our learning ground and it is a free resource that we can obtain and learn from at any time.
I do hope you take the time to watch this and enjoy if you haven’t already.
