Julie Sevilla Drake
Once upon a time I was asked by a famous artist why I’m not a painter. My answer, “I don't know how to paint. I know how to sew.” So I make quilts. It’s my way of painting.
I’m fascinated by art's essentials: color, line, shape, texture. Abstract art especially grabs my attention & moves me viscerally. I bring my own experience to it— each work I see, each time I see it. As a quiltmaker, I hope to create works that engage and intrigue the viewer in this same way.
I began using quilts as my art medium in 2013. I dye fabric to create a palette, much like painters mix color, then I cut intuitively, in big strokes without templates or rulers. I sew and quilt by machine. Quilting stitches become my brushstrokes, to add another layer of meaning. For me, quiltmaking is quite intense, physically and mentally. Body and soul flow together in the studio.
Art constantly occupies my thoughts. Whether viewing museum exhibits, attending art shows, participating or assisting in workshops, or just delving into my library of art and literature, I am always immersed in studying or creating. I’ve earned a BA in French, and an MFA in Poetry, so am both a grateful recipient and an avid proponent of a well-rounded liberal arts education.
In 2015 I received an Alaska Emerging Artist award, and my work has been exhibited in galleries and museums in the USA and internationally.
After over 30 years in Alaska, I and my husband sold our bookstore in 2017 and moved to Fidalgo Island, Washington, to become full-time artists and writers. I am an active outdoorswoman, and the Alaska wilderness still resonates and reverberates deep within me, as do all aspects of Alaskan culture. Bidden or unbidden, these influences arise in my calling as artist, poet, helper, storyteller.