JULIE BRETON ART | ABSTRACT DRAWING
JULIE BRETON ART | BOTANICAL DRAWING
The BOTANICAL DRAWINGS are part of the GLASSHOUSE series, a body of work inspired by the Victorian glasshouses and conservatories that once symbolized prosperity, discovery, and progress. While many of these remarkable structures have disappeared or fallen into decline, their history continues to inspire my imagination.
Working on translucent Yupo paper allows me to build layers of drawing, paint, and collage that interact with light in unexpected ways. The transparency of the surface echoes the luminous quality of the glasshouses themselves, creating a sense of depth and atmosphere throughout the work.
Using charcoal, graphite, pastel, acrylic paint, ink, and collage, I create imagined botanical worlds inspired by the exotic plant collections that once filled these grand structures. Loose linework, layered marks, and subtle colour shifts suggest leaves, petals, and fragments of vegetation rather than specific specimens, inviting the viewer to complete the story.
When backed with a neutral or coloured surface, the translucency of the paper reveals additional layers of colour and texture, allowing each piece to transform with its surroundings. You can follow this series progress on Instagram.