Julie Schumer

Santa Fe, New Mexico

What is your training? 

 I am a self-taught artist.  I painted as a child from age 5 on through high school, then went in another direction.  After returning to painting some years ago I have had informal mentorships with several different artists.

What inspires you and your designs?

I am always inspired by color and am constantly dreaming up ways to work with it effectively.  The shapes of the New Mexico landscape are an inspiration to me as well.

What is your favorite piece?

I have had many favorite pieces over the years.  Currently my favorite is an acrylic and cold wax piece on panel, 60 X 48 inches, called White Landscape with Blue IV. 

How has your area influenced your work?

The New Mexico landscape has had a huge influence on my work as has the weather which can be unpredictable and violent during certain seasons.  The endless open sky, which is sunny some 300 days a year, creates a sense of freedom that I have never experienced anywhere else.  The light is beautiful as well, especially as the sun goes down when everything turns gold and purple.  

What is your favorite restaurant in Santa Fe?

 My favorite Santa Fe restaurant is The Tuneup Café.  It’s a friendly neighborhood restaurant with the best El Salvadorean and New Mexican food in town.  The owner/chef makes mole sauce to die for, his chicken mole enchiladas are the best ever.  His wife, the pastry chef, makes fabulous desserts including a wonderful gluten free espresso brownie and pumpkin pie.  

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 What is your favorite cocktail?

Definitely dry martinis prepared with Absolute Citron vodka and a lemon twist.  For a specialty martini, the Salad in a Glass at Bar 221 at the Tanti Luce restaurant in Santa Fe can’t be beat.  

How do you balance personal life and work?

 For me, the only way to have a semblance of balance between work and personal life is to adhere to a schedule as much as possible.  I am still a practicing lawyer and am constantly juggling the case load to make sure I have enough painting time and time for my spouse and family.  Since my husband is a painter as well, we often reconnect in the studio.  I try to stay organized and minimize distractions.  

Dream trip?

 Definitely a couple of weeks in Spain

and Morocco.  

Dream commission?

To be given free reign on a large canvas would be ideal.  A commission with too many restraints is just a manufacturing job.

Your favorite host / hostess gift to give? 

Chocolate green chile pistachio bark

or the red chile chocolate bark

from the ChocolateSmith in Santa Fe.  In the alternative, a bottle of Alois Lageder Pino Grigio,

a wonderful wine we discovered at a tapas restaurant in Santa Fe, La Boca.  

Who is your style icon?

I don’t really have a style icon per se.  I buy most of my clothes at a local boutique in downtown Santa Fe called Uli’s.  Uli is a master at putting the right outfit together and having her clients stretch their fashion boundaries in a way that suits them.  I would be lost without her.

Your favorite up and coming artist?

I love my husband’s work, James Koskinas.  It’s edgy and powerful.  He has a new series going of horses that are available at the Selby Fleetwood Gallery in Santa Fe.

 His earlier series of angels and portraits are the subject of an award winning feature film we made about the artistic process and struggle that will premiere this fall at the Jean Cocteau theatre in Santa Fe.  The movie is called “The Twilight Angel.”

In terms of non-objective work, I have recently met two wonderful artists on social media, Sandy Welch

and Rhenda Saporito whose work I love.

What is your most treasured possession?

My most treasured possession, if time is a possession, is time in the studio. 

What are you reading?

I am and always have been a big reader.  Currently, I am almost finished with The Blazing World by Siri Hustvedt.  I have enjoyed the book and will probably follow up with something else she has written.

 What are you listening to?

I listen to a variety of music in the studio.  Currently two favorites are  A One Free Association and Future Tribe Yulara.  Another is “Bringer” by John Witham and Rusty Kirkland.  This is the sound track to our film.  

What are your favorite blogs / publications?

 More,

Elle Décor,

Sunset Magazine,

Veranda,

 www.chasingsantafe.blogspot.com

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