ART EXPLORATION

JULIE BRETON | ART STUDIO

JULIE BRETON | ART EXPLORATION

In an attempt to discover and grow as an artist I often experiment with new media, supports and subjects. I work with transparent velum to which I add layers of graphite, acrylic paint, coloured pencil, dry pastel & markers. I see what happens and then adjust from there trying to find new materials, media and subjects to work with.

With a specific subject in mind, I stain raw canvas with dark colours followed by layers of lighter hues. I draw marks with graphite, charcoal, pastel and conté blending them to the previous layers. I even work with gigantic canvases on the grass outside the studio. These all serve one purpose, to open up my mind and grow as an artist.

You can follow my experiments and discoveries on Instagram below.

GLASSHOUSE ABSTRACT SERIES

JULIE BRETON ART | TROPICAL LUST

The GLASSHOUSE series is inspired by the Victorian glasshouses and conservatories that once symbolized prosperity, discovery, and progress. Today, many survive only as remnants of another era—abandoned structures slowly reclaimed by nature.

I am fascinated by vintage photographs of their opulent grandeur and imagine them filled to capacity with lush tropical plants and rare botanicals competing for light beneath soaring glass ceilings. Built to showcase exotic collections from around the world, these extraordinary spaces reflected the optimism and ambitions of a rapidly changing society.

JULIE BRETON ART | WORK IN PROGRESS

As the modern era emerged and cultural values shifted, many of these magnificent structures fell into decline. Their fading grandeur serves as a reminder that even the most ambitious creations are shaped by the passage of time.

In this series, lush botanicals coexist with unexpected colours, abstract forms, and contemporary mark-making. The work explores the intersection of nature and culture, past and present, creating imagined landscapes where history, memory, and transformation converge. You can follow my progress with this series on Instagram below.

MADAME BOVARY

JULIE BRETON ART | MADAME BOVARY ABSTRACT

JULIE BRETON ART | MADAME BOVARY PRINT

Exasperated with Madame Bovary's character in Gustave Flaubert's classic French novel, I was inspired to paint an abstract with colours reminding me of that era. The result is a textural use of blush against a moody blue background.

Flaubert's novel takes place in provincial France and follows Emma Bovary's adulterous life. It caused quite a commotion and was attacked for obscenity by public prosecutors of the time. 

Published in 1856, the novel is now part of the public domain and is considered a master piece of French literature.

Exaspérée par le personnage de Madame Bovary dans le roman historique de Gustave Flaubert, j'ai décidée de peindre en utilisant des couleurs me rappelant cette époque. L'oeuvre avec ses textures, est une étude de couleurs blanc cassé et rose pâle sur fond tumultueux de bleu foncé.

Le roman de Flaubert se déroule près de Rouen en Normandie. Il raconte l'histoire d'Emma Bovary femme aldutère aux prises d'un ennuie totale de la vie provinciale. L'auteur fut pursuivit en justice pour "Outrage à la morale publique, religieuse et aux bonnes moeurs". Publiée en 1856, l'oeuvre fait maintenant parti du domaine publique.