Julie Kanapaux is a contemporary abstract artist influenced by nature on both micro and macrocosmic scales. Julie is owner and Chief Creative Officer of Kan Kan Studios; an adjunct faculty member at Ringling College of Art and Design; and a member of the local artist collective S/ART/Q.

What is your vision as an artist? As an artist, my goal is to challenge the viewer to have a new perspective. I want to reinforce ideas regarding our connectivity and unity with both nature and fellow man.

Share with us your inspiration as an artist? I am most inspired by the vast beauty of our environment. This exists on both micro and macro scales, from the smallest leaf to the cosmos at large. We are surrounded by infinite perfection.

How would you describe your process? Recently, I translate paintings and drawings done with traditional materials into a digital format, where I then overlap and layer them amongst more industrial imagery. I love contrasting the spontaneous nature of paint and pen with the systematic technique of creating digital artwork.

What is your favorite medium to work in and why? I consider myself a “painter” at heart. There is something about the unpredictability of fluid materials that forces an artist to constantly adapt and improvise. When I paint, I feel like the materials are a medium between me and the great unknown. I rarely know how something will turn out in the end, and I love how it pushes me to be flexible.

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