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Julia Donatelli

Painting, Visual / Media

I'm drawn to accident. I like to paint outside because I don't like to impose order or arrangement; I'd rather stumble upon it, making discoveries. Similarly, the best things with paint seem to happen when I don't think too much. I'm always in pursuit of being surprised, of seeing things happen in a painting when I'm not really paying attention. And I want to celebrate nature. With all the pressure on the natural world, it seems imperative to sing its praises.
To experience nature is thrilling—the movement, the shadows, the play of light—it’s a whirlwind of sensation. My sense is that it’s not enough to take the elements of a scene and copy them. Better to respond with emotion and invention, to try to meet the unfolding drama and flux with the movement of your brush, your half-complete impressions, choice of color, choice of mark, etc. It’s the only way to match wits with nature—to make a painting come even close to being as exciting as nature itself.

About the Artist

I paint in natural areas near my home just north of Baltimore, Maryland. I have a BA in Modern Culture and Media from Brown, an MA in English from the University of Maryland, and an MA in Teaching from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland. I've also taken courses at the Rhode Island School of Design and the Maryland Institute College of Art. I've shown my work in Maryland and nearby states including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and North Carolina. 

Julia Donatelli website Julia Sutliff

Featured Work

Photos

I painted this at the edge of a grassy field in County Home Park, Maryland, where the milkweed plants delight me throughout the seasons. In November, the plants' pods break open and spill their silk. This day, the loose silk was catching the bright midday sunlight against the golds, roses, and purples of the fall field.
I painted this at the edge of the smaller upper pond in County Home Park, Maryland. This was one of those paintings where you're moving along, making plans to do more, and suddenly realize what you have is enough. The light was quiet but the brighter greens sang along with the subdued blues and grey-blues.
I painted this alongside the Gunpowder River in Sparks, Maryland. The water fell in a small, musical rapid and the bright light of midday created a brilliant play of colors, particularly the coppery creek bottom complementing the bright blue reflected sky.
I painted this in the midst of the community gardens in nearby County Home Park, Maryland. The lemon-yellow squash flowers and lime-bright leaves and stems made a lovely duet with the smoky blue of the background trees and sky.
I painted this beside one of the ponds in nearby County Home Park, Maryland. It was cold, and the spring lily pads were just starting to grow. You can see the reflection of the still-bare trees against the gray sky. The lily pads had a light lemon-lime glow.
I painted this along a line of trees that shade masses of raspberry bushes. Glowing tufts of dry flowers, red-glazed stems, a savagely bright afternoon sky, and the exuberance of it all against the encroaching dark.