New Horizons

Artist and illustrator Julia Kerrison combines inspiration from her beautiful Cornish surroundings with years of theatrical experience to give her creations a dramatic sense of adventure, using heightened colours and stage-like lighting to bring each piece alive.

Julia's love of travel also plays a leading role, with paintings of stunning locations like Egypt, Masai Mara and Afghanistan. We spoke to Julia to learn more about her life and her work.

Why do you create?

I always have, really. I used to religiously write down the address to send my work in to Hart Beat on CBBC every week when I was little, and was always painting or making something - my mum used to call it "clatting". The idea that I now do this professionally is still amazing to me - I don't feel right if I'm not doing it, I definitely get a bit of a brain itch if I haven't had the chance to paint for a while.

How and where do you work?

If it's smaller-scale works (paintings on canvas, drawings etc) then I have a small studio at home. Bigger projects like withy sculpting or painting sculptures for art trails I like to do in situ if possible, especially if it's a project that involves other artists or members of the public - I get a lot of creative energy from those collaborative projects, and they're always so much fun.




Public murals in particular are great because I get to chat to members of the community while I'm working, and get a real feel for the place I'm contributing to and the people that live there.

Where do you get your inspiration?

Mostly from nature - I'm lucky enough to live at the bottom of Cornwall and our house is full of dogs and boys, all very lively, so we're out and about a lot. I also trained in theatre initially, so I try to take natural scenes and objects and infuse them with something that gives them a bit of a narrative - a touch of theatrical lighting or heightened colour.

What influences your work?

Whatever interests me at the time. :) I'm a bit of a flibbertigibbet when it comes to subject matter; my brain hops about quite a lot so my practice tends to do the same! I quite like working to a brief too, to give me some parameters to create within, and I do take commissions. I love my job precisely because it gives me so many different things to explore and opportunities to create different things.

Where do you sell your art?

I have a website and a Facebook page, I'm on Instagram and I recently set up a TikTok account, which is proving to be a bit of a learning curve. Other than that I am an Associate Member of the Penwith Society of Arts so I exhibit at the Penwith Gallery in St Ives several times a year, and I work closely with Emily Calvert of Benderwicks Art on joint exhibitions and projects.

How do you promote yourself and your work?

Social media does feel increasingly necessary these days; I'm not a fan of how much time it can take up when I'd rather be painting and making, but it is a great way to get work out there and to see what everyone else is working on, which I love.

What are your future ambitions?

Always travel, I love exploring and so does my husband and I try to make sure I do new pieces of work whenever we've been somewhere different. Emily and I have another show planned soon, which will be a bit of a timeline of our 30 (!) years of collaboration on all kinds of bonkers projects. I'm currently working on some designs for murals and sculpture trails, and planning some fun workshops too.

Do you have any advice for other artists?

Do what you LOVE! Don't try and second-guess what people will want to buy, it should be an expression of you and if you pour your heart into it, it will find its audience.


Thanks very much to Julia Kerrison for answering our questions. You can see more of Julia's dramatic artworks on her website, or follow her updates on Instagram.