About Julie Shaw Lutts

I work in mixed media. I make box constructions from found objects and I paint and collage with encaustic. My studio is full of beautiful weathered artifacts that I've discovered on my travels. Collecting objects for my work is always fun. I never know what I'll find in the markets around the world. When I travel I photograph the everyday beauty all around me. The old patina of the walls, a carved window in a stucco building, even the tile that lines the streets. All of these things inspire my work. When I get back to the studio I use these images in my collages and box constructions and also to inspire my painting.
Experiencing other cultures through images, colors and objects informs all my work. I'm so intrigued by peoples' history,their stories, the layers of time, the memories and emotions that make up our world. In my work I try to create a visual narrative that evokes a personal response in the viewer.


In my studio I have boxes and boxes of things I've collected, waiting their turn to show up in a piece.

This is my hot plate with encaustic paints ready to use. I sometimes work on the hot surface using wooden shapes. The heat keeps the paint flowing.

Encaustic color on brush.