A large-scale original hand-dyed silk commissioned by Valley Children's Hospital.

I used PVC pipe to build a structure to hold the stretched silk during the painting process. The painting was done in layers using Dupont dyes, Sennelier Aqua Gutta, wax, alcohol, dye thickener and Woolite. In the framing, I surrounded the stretched silk with San Diego beach sand (sifted and sterilized) in medium on a backing board.

"Wave Riders" in progress.

In the description, I mentioned that the inspiration for this painting came from a day at the beach with my sisters watching the brown pelicans that have returned from near extinction. There are also sandpipers, snowy plovers and dolphins at the surf line.

"Wave Riders" nearing completion.

The artist with"Wave Riders" installed.

Oil painting, "The Heavens Declare the Glory of God," was used to create a glicee print on canvas and installed on this kitchen ceiling.

Article published by Allied Artists Association of San Diego.

Meet Julie and other artists of the Allied Artists Association of San Diego at a reception on Wednesday, November 6, from 4 – 6 pm at the La Jolla Community Center, 6811 La Jolla Boulevard, La Jolla, CA.

Julie Sanderson's work covers a diverse range of media, but always with the hope of connecting to something beautiful in life. Her greatest joy is experiencing the flow of God's creative spirit into her work. Silk is the newest medium Julie has been exploring. When her family began scuba diving, she realized that the shimmering surface of silk and the vibrant colors of fiber reactive dyes would be a great way to share the underwater experience. Julie has received awards in international spiritual and silk painting exhibitions. You can see numerous examples of Julie’s oil painting, pastels and silk painting from now >through the end of November.

Julie’s formal classical training began with an oil paint set from her mom for her 9th birthday and weekly studio lessons with Fred Gong, a portrait painter from Washington, D.C. Eventually, she went on to receive a BA in Visual Arts Magna Cum Laude from UCSD, with a minor in Political Science. In 2002, she opened her business, JAS Inspired Art. She is also currently a member of the San Diego Silk Guild, a local chapter of SPIN (Silk Painters International) and a member of the San Diego Museum of Art Artists Guild. Julie is the new aaaSD Treasurer. She became a Charter Member of aaaSD in February 2005. Artist groups are a rewarding source of energy for her and they provide opportunities for her to share her work and get feedback.

Julie likes matching the media to the subject. Oil is her preference for landscapes because of its earthy elements and the weight of the paint. She developed her landscape painting technique working mostly en plein air while living in Grenada, West Indies, and then in Connecticut. For animal portraits, she finds softly layered pastels work nicely for the texture of fur. She enjoys doing people and animal portraits that capture a story with personality. She also carves leather, designs stained glass and paints on glassware, walls and luggage with acrylic paint. She would like to continue exploring ways to express her faith through her art with themes of light, love and bonding. She also feels it is important to balance her studio time with mental, spiritual and physical fitness, always leaving time to play. Wherever she goes, she tries to bring something with her, even if it is only a smile.

Julie lives in San Diego with her husband, a family physician in Del Mar, and her daughter's cat. Their daughter is an Emergency Medicine Physician finishing her residency at Staten Island University Hospital. Julie comes from a family of artists. One cousin is a scientific illustrator and gem and glass carver. Another paints glorious large floral watercolors and her son is an accomplished painter who graduated from Art Center and works for The Walt Disney Company. Her sister, a Humboldt State studio art graduate, makes jewelry and teaches art in Tennessee. She says her greatest blessing is living surrounded by a loving family and friends!

Here's a photo from our June, 2013 trip to Cenderawasih Bay. It's located in Indonesia’s easternmost province and it's one of the most coveted dive spots in the world. Cenderawasih is one of the only locations in the world that almost guarantees whale sharks all year round.