Oil paint is Julia Chen’s favorite and main medium for her artworks.  Growing up in Taiwan, Julia was influenced by Chinese ink painting, an art form that emphasizes immediacy and mark making.  She studied Chinese calligraphy with Dr. Leon Long-Yien Chang in New York for seven years.  Using Chinese ink taught her how to appreciate the subtlety and nuances of lines and its expressive quality.  In 2006, she began to explore oil paint as her creative medium and eventually went to study painting at New York Academy of Art.  She earned her Master of Fine Art in 2010.      

“The significance of the Fieldstones Retreat in 2017 was that it was the first time that I went away by myself since the birth of my daughter.  She was four then.  I didn’t stay the entire four nights at the Fieldstones. I remember feeling grateful that I was allowed to participate just the weekend given the time that my husband could watch our daughter while I was away.  This piece was painted by the creek in the back of Fieldstones, titled “Tranquility”.  It had been a long while since I had some tranquil time to myself, painting and reflecting.  I utterly enjoyed the time at Fieldstones connecting with my fellow NYAA alums.  The other piece “Who’s out there” is one of my latest plein air paintings.”