Introducing... Julie Mai
- Rebecca Naylor
- Oct 8
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 23
Our latest signing at First Contemporary, we head to the historic village of Fornalutx to meet abstract artist Julie Mai.
Julie Mai in her studio; Muse 2, 28 x 34cm
Tell me about your journey as an artist.
My journey started 20 years ago. I was a self-taught representational painter working with five different galleries across Canada and Hawaii. Abstract painting was always my calling, but I felt I had to master painting this way to call myself an artist. It’s not like when you're a doctor or a lawyer. The title isn't given to you - you have to claim it! I set myself various benchmarks and eventually thought - now is the time. And so I started painting abstracts. That coincided with me moving to Mallorca; the perfect opportunity to reinvent myself completely. And so, in the village of Fornalutx, I started from scratch. I’ve been painting abstracts for about four years now and absolutely love it.
What drew you towards abstract art?
Having painted representationally for so long, I grew tired of a process which felt like recording. I just wanted to let go! Strip my work right back, so there was just space. That space allows people to look at a piece and bring their own thoughts, desires and vision to the work. Around 2009, I started playing with encaustic hot wax painting for the first time and thought it would be the perfect medium to work with if (or rather when) I started painting abstracts. And so, it was finally time. I returned to encaustic and have worked with it religiously for three years.
Why encaustic as a medium?
Mistakes happen very readily with encaustic; it’s a difficult medium to control and I love the idea of happenstance. It’s a bit like with pit fire pottery; there’s something in leaving it to the elements. I also adore the patinas produced with encaustic. I tend to gravitate towards the old, which is what drew me to this village. The patinas in my work really reflect the sense of history surrounding me. I’ve now managed to achieve such patinas with acrylics, which is a bit of a relief for my lungs! I tend to get really lost in my work and the encaustic starts smoking away once it’s passed a certain heat point.
What will you be showing at Affordable Art Fair Battersea?
I’ll be showing a series of smaller abstracts that are particularly calm and meditative at Battersea Autumn this year. There was a big element of play in letting these paintings emerge. Now and again I’ll have a strong idea of what I want to create, but, in general, it’s all play! I may have an idea for a certain colour palette or a specific design, then from there it’s a process of call and response. My 20 years of painting and background as an interior designer inform a lot of my choices, too. The texture, structure and patinas all come from the encaustic.
Detail from Untitled IV, 34 x 34cm; Detail from Untitled II, 34 x 34cm
Are you influenced by other artists' work?
I have always avoided looking at other artists’ work as I get influenced very easily - and I don't want to be! But just this year, I have been very deliberately looking at others' work. In fact, my latest piece is influenced by one of the artists I'm currently showing with in Palma - Ian Ratowsky. He creates these somewhat abstracted, somewhat representational figures. I have certainly felt his influence seeping into my latest piece, though you’d never think so if you were to put them side by side. We have such different approaches! But there’s been quite a shift; my paintings are becoming less stripped back and more energetic. I feel as though I’m breaking out from my years of Zen and calm and that’s quite exciting!
Has your move to Mallorca shaped your recent paintings?
I’ve been living in Mallorca for four years now and it’s certainly influenced my use of colour – it doesn't reflect the west coast of Canada! Hot pinks, aquas and turquoise have been working their way into my palette. Then, there’s living in a very, very old village with all these fabulous patinas surrounding me – that’s certainly come through. In general, however, I think my work has been shaped by this major change in lifestyle. An uprooting and starting over. As we age, we become more and more comfortable in our own skin. We start to trust ourselves, and that process has been taking place here. It could have been anywhere! I think my biggest influence is this brilliant new stage of life.
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