Julia Robinson

Watercolor and Pastel Artist

Based in Colorado

I’m a painter based in Colorado, working in soft pastels and watercolor.

My paintings grow out of places I’ve spent time in, and I try to capture something of those real moments while bringing my own perspective to them.

Colorado and the American West are the landscapes I return to most in my work. I grew up in a rural mountain village in New Mexico, where the landscape was part of daily life. I’ve never grown tired of nature’s beauty, but I’ve also seen its power as wildfires reshaped my hometown time and again. As a quiet kid growing up in that environment, I found an outlet early in the long focus and creativity of artmaking.

I still love long, focused time in the studio, but I’ve also found a lot of excitement in painting outdoors, en plein air. I like to walk until I come upon something undeniable. I’m especially drawn to moments when light changes the character of a place. I’m fascinated by the way one moment in a landscape can activate another, like a break of light through trees hlighting the edge of a meadow across the scene. Those relationships feel richer in person, and paying attention to them has become an important part of how I paint.

Over time, the search for something to paint has become its own skill. It often starts with the physical act of reaching a place, but it’s really about recognizing what is special before it disappears and translating it into a composition that works.

I hope you find more places that feel undeniable to you, whether on canvas or out in the world.