A day in the life of | Julia Deckman

Meet Julia Deckman,

Charleston artist, who is inspired by light and color.  She refers to her painting style as bold, vibrant and organic. She paints everything from vibrant Charleston landscapes to swoon worthy animal portraits. 

We asked her what a typical day in the life of Julia looked like and here's what she had to say...

"I am currently supplementing my art income with a full-time office gig Monday - Thursday, so most of the magic happens on the weekends! This leaves very little free time, but I honestly don't mind too much. I love what I do so much that it's well worth the sacrifice of a personal life :)

A typical studio day will start around 7:30am when all my furry children demand attention and breakfast. I am very fortunate to own a home in the wonderful Riverland Terrace neighborhood on James Island, and I try to enjoy a walk with the kids and my man before heading out for the day. 

 Once I finally make it out of the house, a coffee break is a MUST. Muddy Waters is just down the street from our place and their cold brew is delicious. If I am feeling ambitious, I'll hit Charleston Revolution for a spin class to start my day on the right track before I hunker down with my paints. 

I have a studio in the wonderful Redux Contemporary Art Center. We recently made a major upgrade into the freshly renovated space at 1056 King street. My tiny studio is a slice of heaven, and I had so much fun setting it up as my home away from home. I bring my studio assistant, DaniGirl, with me most days. She's really great at napping and shedding hair into all my supplies, not so great at the assisting...

Creating art is a very physically and emotionally demanding process. I give each piece a lot of thought and focus. It actually takes me about 45 minutes to get "warmed up" in the studio, and once I've begun working its very difficult for me to pause and pick up where I left off. For that reason, I usually don't take a lunch or coffee break. I'll either bring something with me to eat later, or just muscle through the day and grab something on my way out. Some of my favorite pre or post studio meals come from Gnome Cafe, The Park Cafe, and The Harbinger Cafe.

Sidenote: do yourself a favor and visit the brand new Harbinger Cafe. Its a true gem and only a block away from Redux (YAYYY).

Second sidenote: can more places (i.e. caviar&bananas) PLEASE deliver uptown?! I promise you'd have the business of at least 30 artists...

Anywho, I typically spend 6-8 hours in the studio Friday - Sunday. This just depends on what I'm working on and what deadlines I might have. When I have commissions, these are my priority so that I can finish my clients' pieces as timely as possible. When I'm working on my current series of work, the day is usually much more challenging. There's a lot more trial and error, moments of frustration, insecurities may rear their annoying heads, but ultimately these days are incredibly fulfilling. I learn and grow immensely in my baby studio, but DaniGirl usually sleeps through it all.

Some evenings I will have an event or show to work. These are great opportunities to meet people, exhibit my work, and hopefully make a sale or two. I have been so fortunate to have the support of local businesses, like Candlefish, who host my pop-ups and make what could be a nerve wracking situation a breeze. In addition to my pop-ups at Candlefish, I've also exhibited at Charleston Fashion Week, participated in the Celadon Warehouse Flea Markets, and joined other local creatives at the Thrifters and Drifters market. DaniGirl has assisted at several of these events as well, she's quite the celebrity. 

Once my creative day has come to an end, I hurry home to slip into PJs and snuggle with all the kiddos. Dylan joins too if he can find a spot on the bed. Sometimes my friends make me join them out in civilization. These occasions always involve way too much food. Most of my closest friends are in F&B and we all REALLY enjoy eating. 

The weekend always ends at Zia for frozen screw drivers and tacos with all my favorite people. Then it's just 4 more days until I get to do it all over again :)"

Think Julia is awesome? Us too. Sign up for her painting class at Candlefish Charleston on August 17th here.