Meet Julie Torres | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Julie Torres and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Julie, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
John Wooden’s Seven-Point Creed is one that really sums up how I want to live each day. The ideas of being present, of being authentic, of coming from a place of gratitude and love, of being mindful of the content you consume – those are all simple yet profound teachings. Lately, I am making a deliberate effort to spend less time scrolling news feeds and social media and instead reading more books. I’m even using the pages from the books I read in my latest art.

These are the seven points:
1. Be true to yourself
2. Make each day your masterpiece
3. Help others
4. Drink deeply from good books
5. Make friendship a fine art
6. Build a shelter for a rainy day
7. Pray for guidance and give thanks for your blessings every day

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My art exists at the intersection of fine art and craft. I combine traditional printmaking processes, crochet and weaving techniques to create pieces I describe as “woven screen prints” and “paper quilts.” My interest in the law and its evolution, and in the ideals of freedom and empowerment, is reflected in the subject matter of my art. I love making art that celebrates strong women.

I’m the most proud of having a piece of mine in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was exhibited there in 2021 and getting to see it was an otherworldly experience for me. One day, I look forward to taking my sons to see it.

How did I get to where I am today? This sounds wild, but “Ready. Fire. Aim.” I think I heard Jesse Itzler say this about entrepreneurship and it really was my thought process behind becoming an artist. Being an artist is different than a lot of other jobs or businesses. Your primary (and forever) goal is to make the best art that you possibly can. The first step is simply to start making art. Start studying art. Start learning about art. Start living art. Just start. I think if you get too bogged down in a detailed business plan or contingency plan, you can end up freaking yourself out before you even get started. You can lose the race before you begin. Also, my time in art school was like an incubation period that allowed me to experiment and to grow as an artist. It also gave me time to begin building a network, which I think is important in every business. I don’t believe that our successes are a result of our own efforts alone.

One lesson I have learned is to be authentic. My artwork found an audience when it started to reflect my voice. A second lesson I have learned is to always do my best, to give it my all. That doesn’t mean that I won’t fail, but it does mean that I can have peace knowing that no matter the outcome, I did everything I could. Additionally, my perspective on so-called failure has changed as I have gained more experience because I have learned it is part of the journey. Failure is not something to fear. I would rather live with and learn from my failures than live with regrets from the things I was too afraid to do because I was too afraid to fail. Life isn’t a dress rehearsal.

Along those lines, I hope my story serves as an example that it’s never too late to learn something new, to try something different, to go after what makes your soul shine. I was 33 when I left law to go back to undergraduate school to study art. The scariest moment of my life was right before I walked into the drawing studio at SCAD for the first time. I’m so thankful I didn’t let my fears stop me.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best girls are coming to visit, we would definitely go to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens one day, talk a walk around Piedmont Park and the Beltline, and head to the Krog Street Market for dinner. The Ticonderoga Club is one of my favorite places there. The next day, we’d go to Miami Circle to check out the art galleries, making a special trip to Maune Contemporary, the gallery I work with here. We would follow that up with a trip to the High Museum. To keep the art vibe going for the day, I would have registered us for “The Potter’s Table,” Chef Zach Meloy’s amazing ceramics studio tour + bespoke dinner experience. I’d love to take them one day for an early afternoon hike on the East Palisades Trail. There are some great views of the Chattahoochee River there. We would take my two little boys to the Fernbank Museum one morning, and catch a puppet show with them at the Center for Puppetry Arts. A concert at Eddie’s Attic in Decatur would be a must. A visit to Bolivar Coffee or Rev Coffee Roasters (both in Smyrna) would get us going one morning. On one of our last days, we could hang out on the Westside and visit my art studio, which is close to the Chattahoochee Works. I’d definitely take them to Bold Monk Brewery or Scofflaw for some afternoon drinks and snacks – I love the vibe at both of those places. We would have our eye on concerts at the Fox and the Tabernacle and catch whatever show we could. Same with any art exhibit openings. On our last night, we would go to Canoe for dinner, getting there a little early so we could sit by the river for a spell.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
A have a few to give, for sure! My first shoutout is to my family, to my mom and my grandmother in particular. They both had my back in every possible way when I decided to leave my job as an attorney to enroll in art school. My grandmother’s response: “Well, it’s about time!” My mom helped me pack up and sell my house in Jacksonville, FL, and move to Atlanta. She is also the person I call almost every day. She has been my constant. So have my aunts.

I’ve also had some amazing teachers along the way. Professor Dennis Calfee at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Professor Robert Brown at SCAD are just two of them. The Georgia Lawyers for the Arts is an organization that has helped me in so many ways as I have established my art career in Atlanta. A special thanks to Meredith Ragains, their Executive Director.

The last shoutout is to my husband, Alexi Torres. He inspires me everyday. He’s an amazing partner. He’s my favorite artist.

Website: https://www.julietorresart.com

Instagram: @julietorresart

Image Credits
William Twitty
Sam Moore
Michael J. Moore